When I wrote the article, The Holy Grail in Speed Training, I was still incorporating power cleans in our workouts. I did this because I believed, as many still do, that the power clean was a key to generating explosive movements.

Since that time, I've stopped using the power clean. In fact, I no longer include any type of ballistic movement in our workouts. In a subsequent article (Ballistics or Baloney) I addressed the reasons why I do not believe the power clean is a necessary exercise for faster running.

The point of the foregoing was that after my colleague Ken returned from attending a presentation by Franz Bosch, we discussed some of the strength training exercises Bosch includes in his workouts. In one exercise, his modified version of the power clean, Bosch uses to increase intermuscular coordination during sprinting. Bosch believes this exercise is especially helpful in training the glutes, hamstrings, rectus femoris and gastrocs.

Bosch's idea seemed sensible at first hearing. However, a closer examination of the purpose of the exercise leads to a different conclusion. As I stated above, the power clean will always be a ballistic exercise and simply adding another possible use in training does not change the basis of the lift.

So what is the issue here?

When I was using the power clean for speed training, I would teach the athlete the mechanics of the lift by starting out with either an unloaded bar or a broomstick. I did this because it was easier to teach the required mechanics of the lift without additional weight. In other words, the intermuscular coordination necessary to complete the lift developed faster by using little or no loading. Once the athlete had mastered the coordination required to do the exercise, they were able to move progressively heavier weights faster; but the progression never reached maximum weight attained in the core lifts: The deadlift or the squat.

Ballistic lifts are always sub-maximal compared to core lifts.

While Bosch's purpose in developing this particular lift is to combine strength training with intermuscular coordination training (sort of a two for the price of one deal), is this combo method of training more effective than other methods?

The main purpose of strength training for sprinting is to maximize the amount of force applied to the ground in opposition to gravity. If the main purpose is to maximize force, then moving a lighter weight faster is not the answer. Therefore, the ballistic power clean, in any form, is not going to help maximize force in opposition to gravity.

Of course, some may disagree that the goal of strength training is maximizing force applied to the ground. You can easily recognize them from the common question they pose: How much strength is too much?

Instead of an answer, I would reply with the following question: How much faster do you want to run?  

If the goal of intermuscular coordination training is to enhance the athlete's ability to run faster, then the most obvious choice of intermuscular coordination training should be faster running.

Based upon the inability of the power clean, or its derivatives, to increase maximum force and the effectiveness of running fast in order to train intermuscular coordination, my choice is to stay on the minimalist side…do only what is necessary, not all that is possible.

Barry Ross