front squat technique (sort of) advice

[puppydog]

tried a search but no luck.
so here's my problem.

i don't have a rack so my front squat has to be cleaned up to my shoulders fisrt.

then i basically let the bar rest on my collarbone and use my hands to barely keep it steady.

the problem is when i'm done, the bar is resting in a way that i can't grip it (it's rolled off my finger tips) and i can't move my hands or the bar will fall.

currently i'm moving into a zercher grip, then into a... well it's hard to explain but it's ugly, dangerous, and painful.

what am i doing wrong???

[ralst]

If you can't drop the bar (ie, no bumper plates and platform), then you need to keep your grip on the bar throughout the set. That might take some practice. What I would suggest is just work on keeping at least your fingertips on the bar during the clean, then figure out how to get the bar from your fingertips into your hand.

What I do is "bump" the bar up, first on one side then the other, so I can get my hands under it better after the clean. Basically, just give the bar a shrug and work your hand into the position it needs to be in before the bar lands back on your shoulder.

To go from this to front squatting without losing your grip on the bar is probably just going to take time, loaded stretching (the barbell will provide this), and maybe some discomfort.

[puppydog]

thanks.... b/c i was really considering letting gravity do the work.
not sure the people that live in the apt downstairs would appreciate.....

[JP]

quite often when doing some cleans i get this same thing. Usually i do what ralst said and just pump it up a bit and let it fall on my hands and then let the bar fall on my thighs where i stop it.

a bit painful at times tho But the oly lifters at my gym do it all the time with weights much higher than mine, so i guess you get used to it!