Hitting knees on the pull

[Allen Yeh]

Yesterday I was doing power cleans and on a couple of reps I hit the hell out of my knee (under the kneecap area) on my left leg several times. I've done this in the past here and there but never consistently and never to where it hurt this bad either. This would be an indication of what exactly?

My guess is that my shoulders were going up too fast so I was trying to pull back before the bar was over my knees but I'd like a second opinion?

My knee is pretty tender today and I don't want to keep repeating this.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

My initial reaction is that your timing is off.

Perhaps, some tall cleans or RDLs to remind your body of the neural pathways needed to accomplish the movements?

I'm a novice on this stuff, but I'm learning, so I'm all ears on what the more learned of the group have to say.

good luck and recover.

All the best,
Arden

[Jacob Rowell]

Allen,

Sounds like you're doing exactly what you thought, raising your shoulders too fast in relation to your hips. When I see this, I have people run through a few triples of clean deadlift to position (jsut at the knee). Usually clears it up.

Could also be starting off the ground fine, but rushing into the 2nd pull transition too early. Either way, if you get some practice in maintaining your hip/shoulder angle coming off the floor, all should be well. Only other option I see is a bad start position.

[Derek Maffett]

Sounds like you're trying to scoop way too early. I'd second Jacob's advice of clean deadlifts to above the knee. Only after you get the weight above your knees should you start the scoop.

Don't be impatient and remember that an early scoop will only result in slowing the bar down due to the physical knee barrier (and, if I'm not mistaken, loss or partial loss of the stretch reflex).

[Greg Everett]

Some of the above are possible, but post a video if you can because it could be a number of other things as well, such as trying to start the bar too far back over the foot.

Like Jacob said, work some clean DLs, then clean pull, then clean pull + clean, etc. to really focus on that first pull. Also, for now, slow it down - no need to rush the first pull at this point until you really have the movement dialed in.

[Allen Yeh]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look into the start position and stop rushing.

No footage is possible, I'm able to take a camera with me to the gym but I can't take a camera with me onto work.