Olympic Weightliftinghttps://plume.pullopen.xyz/~/OlympicWeightlifting@fediverse.blog/atom.xml2022-03-03T07:50:25.766984+00:00<![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 71]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2071/2022-03-03T07:50:25.766984+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-03-03T07:50:25.766984+00:00<![CDATA[<h2 dir="auto">Other Common Style Variations in the Early Phases of Pulling</h2>
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<p dir="auto">Lifters vary significantly with respect to certain fundamental aspects of their starting position other than those already mentioned. For example, most lifters begin the pull with the bar over the juncture of the toes and the ball of the foot. However, many athletes place the bar in front of the base of the toes at the start of the pull (though never altogether in front of the toes), and others place the bar over the ball of the foot, behind the toes.</p>
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<p dir="auto">When the bar is placed further away from the body than the base of the metatarsals, it will travel toward the lifter to greater extent during the early stages of the pull than when the bar begins directly over the metatarsals. The distance of this additional movement toward the lifter approximates the added distance between the lifter and the bar at the start of the pull (e.g., if the bar is l“ in front of the base of the metatarsals at the beginning of the pull, the bar will travel an additional inch toward the lifter during the second stage of the pull). Its movement during the later phases of the pull will be similar to the pattern of movement that occurs when the bar starts in a more conventional position.</p>
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<p dir="auto">When the bar is placed behind the base of the toes at the start, it will tend to shift toward the athlete to a lesser extent, by an amount approximately twice the distance that the athlete’s feet are placed forward of the conventional position in the start; e.g., if the base of the metatarsals is 1“ forward of the bar, and the bar would normally have traveled 4“ toward the lifter during the early stages of the pull, it will now travel only 2“ toward the lifter. If the bar is brought still closer to the lifter, it may actually travel away from the lifter during the early stages of the pull. Placing the bar too close to the lifter at the start will also require the lifter to lean back more than is usual during the explosion phase of the pull in order to keep the bar moving in a vertical path. If the placement of the bar is very extreme in terms of placement behind the base of the metatarsals, the bar may actually travel forward at the end of the pull.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Another common variation in pulling style among lifters involves differences in the angles assumed by the major joints of the body at various phases in the pull. What are the reasons for these differences? The Eastern Europeans often refer to three basic body types in their literature, and they have identified certain technique characteristics which they feel are correlated with those physique types. The mesomorphic type is considered “normal.” An athlete with longer limbs and a shorter torso is generally referred to as the dolichomorphic type. The third type is the brachimorphic, characterized by shorter than average limbs and a longer than average torso.</p>
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<p dir="auto">An example of the kinds of technical differences that exist among lifters with different body types occurs in the starting position. In this position, lifters with shorter legs and longer torsos tend to hold their torsos more upright and to bend the legs more at the start. However, when starting positions vary because of physical characteristics (as compared with technical mistakes), the differences among the positions athletes assume tend to be minimized during the middle stages of the pull (there are differences in the squat position, just as there are in the starting position). Differences that are created by technical errors are not ironed out during the middle stages of the pull. In some cases, the differences grow smaller but in others they grow even larger than they were at the outset.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Naturally, there are an infinite number of variations that extend within and across these fundamental types. All of these major differences in technique and body proportions and many smaller ones can lead to variation in the overall pattern of movement that lifters generate during the lifts.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Some analysts have argued that lifters who are mechanically better suited than the average lifter to use the back in the pull (this could be the result of stronger back and hip muscles, a shorter back or both) will tend to have a greater than normal incline in the torso (i.e., a smaller angle relative to the platform) during much of the pull. As a result, the bar will be lower in relation to the platform than is normal, at least through the second phase of the pull and perhaps later. This results in the lifter being able to exert force over a longer distance in subsequent stages of the pull. However, this is only an advantage if the lifter is not too fatigued to exert force over the entire distance or is not in a mechanical position that lessens the amount of force that can actually be applied, an unlikely set of conditions.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Similarly, some analysts have argued that lifters who have legs that are mechanically better suited than average to lift the bar tend to begin the pull with the torso more upright than normal and to straighten it earlier during the pull than is normal. This results in the height of the bar being greater in relation to the platform than is normal prior to the final acceleration so that the lifter can exert the force during the final acceleration over a shorter distance than is normal. There is also an tendency for the lifter with a more upright torso to straighten the torso faster than the legs during the explosion phase and therefore to generate excessive lean-back at the finish of the pull, with the result that the bar is pulled backward from its starting point on the platform. Roman has suggested that when the bar travels up to 3 cm forward or 5 cm behind the base of the metatarsals after the final explosion has been executed, the bar will end up in an area that is controllable by the athlete. (These distances are guidelines for the athlete of average height; taller athletes have larger tolerances and shorter athletes have smaller ones.) Horizontal movement beyond that point will make it difficult for the athlete to control the bar during the squat under. While this would seem to be a disadvantage. there are some very good lifters who lift in this manner. Therefore, there may be some compensating mechanisms that overcome, at least to some extent, the disadvantage of a shorter distance to accelerate the bar. (For example, since the bar is already higher, it needs to be accelerated less to reach its ultimate height, or the body is in a stronger mechanical position for the shorter explosion than it is for a longer one so that the shorter duration is compensated for by a greater force generation over that shorter distance.)</p>
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<br>]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 70]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2070/2022-03-02T07:40:13.036277+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-03-02T07:40:13.036277+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Degree of Leg Bend During the Adjustment Phase of the Pull</p>
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<p dir="auto">There are two different schools of thought regarding the amount of rebend that a lifter should achieve during the adjustment stage of the pull. Some authors argue that the smaller the rebend, the less time and speed the lifter will lose in the transition from the second to fourth stages of the pull (the two stages during which the greatest force </p>
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<p dir="auto">is exerted on the bar). Others argue that deeper the rebend, the greater the lifter’s ability to exert force during the fourth stage of the pull.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Both arguments have merit. Obviously the lifter who achieves significant bar speed during the second stage of the pull and not much greater speed during the fourth will want to maintain as much speed as possible during the adjustment stage (i.e., use a lesser knee bend). On the other hand, the lifter who relies of the fourth stage of the pull to impart most of the force to the bar will want to achieve the most functional position from which to create maximum force (i.e., to achieve a relatively greater knee bend). Some experimentation with both styles is generally useful.</p>
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<p dir="auto">One principle that applies to either style is that the adjustment phase should be conducted as quickly as possible. It is generally desirable to retain as much of the bar speed achieved during the second stage of the pull as possible. A faster adjustment will enable the lifter to move the body as much as possible while the bar is in a relatively weightless stage (i.e., the body can move freely while momentum continues to keep the bar rising) and a rapid rebending of the knees will activate the elastic properties of the leg extensors, fostering a more powerful final explosion in the pull. (See Appendix II for further details.)</p>
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<p dir="auto">There are a number of weightlifting analysts who believe that the degree of leg bend achieved by</p>
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<p dir="auto">cannot be influenced by the coach or athlete. Indeed, it has been argued that the rebending of the knees that occurs during the second stage of the pull cannot be taught at all! I find such a position untenable for several reasons. First, if a rebending of the knees could not be taught, it would follow that any lifter who does not automatically generate such a rebending ought to give up any hope of a weightlifting career. In reality, many lifters who do not rebend their knees when they first begin to lift ultimately learn to do so. Second, I know at least one elite level lifter, Cal Schake, who learned to consciously modify the degree of his knee bend in the pull after having lifted for many years. Moreover, Cal points to that modification (in his case increasing the degree of leg rebending) as one of the key reasons for his becoming the first American ever to snatch double his weight. Third, why would the knee bend during the pull be so unique a movement that it could not taught?</p>
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<p dir="auto">In reality, the coach who says that the knee bend during the adjustment stage cannot be taught or the lifter who says that it cannot be learned simply does not know how to make the knee bend happen. In fairness to such coaches and lifters, that knee bend can be quite difficult to learn and to teach. A lifter who consciously focuses on rebending the legs faces two difficult challenges: achieving the correct rebent position and doing so quickly enough so that the overall rhythm of the pull is not broken. While the lifter can learn to do both these things on a conscious level and then automate the process with enough practice, there is an easier way for most lifters to achieve the same end. That method is related to the modification of other aspects of the lifter’s technique that are likely to be causing the lack of or the improper rebending of the knees.</p>
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<p dir="auto">The failure of a lifter to achieve a proper second bending of the knees most often stems from one or more of several causes. One of the most common is improper balance on the foot before and during the adjustment stage. Another common cause of a less than optimal knee bend is the improper positioning of the lifter’s torso relative to the legs during the second and third phases of the pull. For example, if the lifter begins to straighten his or her torso prematurely during the pull and shifts his or her weight too far rearward, that lifter will be unlikely to drive the knees forward and under the bar properly during the adjustment phase. Similarly, the more upright the lifter’s torso during the second stage of the pull, the smaller the displacement of the torso when it is straightened and the smaller the rebending of the knees.</p>
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<p dir="auto">One final common cause of a failure to properly rebend the knees during the third stage of the pull is improper timing during that stage. If the lifter attempts to slow or stop the pull in order to reposition the knees, the bar will tend to stop or even to fall. This is illegal; the rules of weightlifting do not permit the lifter to stop the upward progress or to lower the bar during the execution of the pull. It is also inefficient, as any upward momentum of the bar is lost during such a transition. The lifter is much better served if the movement of the knees under the bar is a part of the overall flow of the pulling movement.</p>
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<p dir="auto">If a lifter corrects these flaws, the knee bend is likely to be improved. To summarize, the keys to a proper knee bend are: a) proper positioning of the shoulders relative to the bar at the completion of the second stage of the pull (shoulders forward of the bar and shins nearly vertical and proper balance on the feet); and b) a well timed and explosive effort to straighten the torso. Some lifters achieve the best result in the latter respect by thinking about raising the torso upward and, somewhat backward. Others achieve a better result by thinking of driving the hips toward the bar. Whatever the case, the focus on straightening the torso and bringing the hips closer to the bar causes the legs to bend and the knee to move forward and under the bar, because the same muscles that extend the hip joint also cause the legs to bend. (See the section on two joint muscles in Appendix II for a further explanation of this concept.) By applying these methods and without a conscious effort to bend the knees in a certain way, the proper bending of the knees can be “learned.” Nevertheless, some lifters who are having difficulty in this area may need to think consciously of rebending the knees, at least for a time, in order to achieve the optimal motion in this aspect of the pull. They should not be discouraged by those who say that the second knee bend cannot be learned. Every lifter can learn it; it is merely a question of selecting the proper means for the learning process to occur.</p>
<p dir="auto">Trade-free fitness at www.myworkoutarena.com<br></p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 69]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2069/2022-03-01T07:51:07.439773+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-03-01T07:51:07.439773+00:00<![CDATA[<h2 dir="auto">A Fast Versus a Slow Pull From the Floor</h2>
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<p dir="auto">Lifting circles have probably debated the relative advantages of a slow and fast pull from the floor as long as there have been lifters, and that debate is likely to continue for many years to come. The controversy stems from the failure by each side see the full arguments of the other side and to acknowledge that individual differences influence the value of each technique and that trade-offs in </p>
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<p dir="auto">both styles tend to cancel each other out so that the issue is not one of “night and day.” However, there are some relevant principles that should help each lifter and coach decide what is best for the individual lifter.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Physics tells us that the longer a net force is applied to an object, the greater will be the acceleration imparted to that object. Taken at face value, this principle suggests that a lifter should pull as long and as hard as possible in order to impart maximum acceleration to the bar (i.e., tear the bar off the floor with maximum force and continue to increase the force with each passing split second). However, before you reach such a conclusion, it is important to reexamine precise meaning of force as it applies to acceleration. Acceleration is a change in the speed of an object. Acceleration only occurs when an unbalanced force (a force that is greater than any other counter forces that it encounters, such as friction or an opposing force like gravity) acts on an object. When a force is applied in a way that only involves the movement of a single lever or series of levers in a given direction (such as a vertical jump of the drive in the jerk), the athlete need think only of applying maximum force to the ground throughout the movement. Since the object is traveling in a straight line, the only acceleration arises out of a change in the speed of the object.</p>
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<p dir="auto">In pulling a bar from the floor, the situation is different. The body does not simply straighten; first the legs straighten, then the back straightens and the legs rebend, then both the back and legs straighten. This is, needless to say, a very complex motion. Some lifters who attempt to move too fast, particularly when they are learning the motion, will tend to omit certain parts of necessary movement or to time their movements improperly (e.g., to straighten the torso prematurely). In addition, no matter how much acceleration the lifter achieves during the first part of the pull, a deceleration will occur during the amortization phase of the pull (.e., the body will apply no net force). Then the application of force will resume during the final explosion. This is not because the lifter is not trying to apply force, but rather because some of that force is being used to reposition the body during the amortization phase of the pull. If a fast second stage of the pull leads to a greater reduction of speed during the adjustment phase, such a style is probably not very efficient for the lifter; the lifter either needs to move faster during the adjustment phase or to perform the second phase of the pull a little more slowly, so that the combined second and third phases of the pull are better coordinated</p>
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<p dir="auto">One problem that often arises in connection with a fast pull as opposed to a slow pull from the floor (really an 80% to 90% effort versus an all out effort) is that when the lifter exerts maximum force during the first stage of the pull, there is a greater </p>
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<p dir="auto">tendency for the athlete to lose the rigidity of his her body links or the proper positioning of those links (e.g., for the spine to lose its arched position or the shoulders to be pulled forward or to contra the arms or traps prematurely). Another reason 1 not pulling with 100% effort during the second phase of the pull is that some athletes have a greater tendency to misdirect the movement of the body and the bar or to contract certain muscle groups when maximum force is applied as the bar leaves the platform prematurely than when the effort expended is more moderate during this stag Still another reason for exerting less than maximum speed off the platform is that such an effort may fatigue the pulling muscles somewhat, thereby making them less able to exert maximum force during the crucial fourth phase of the pull. Finally, the joints of the body are at their most acute angles as the bar comes off the platform and thereby are most vulnerable to injury. Exploding off the platform places great stress on these joints at their weakest positions. Injuries from this kind of effort are rare, but if the explosive technique off the platform is applied over a period of many years its effects may accumulate and eventually cause overuse injuries to the athlete.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Because a relatively greater weight is used in the clean than in the snatch, the effort that the lifter must exert during the second phase of the pull for the clean is greater than in the snatch. However, this does not necessarily translate into a proportional increase in the difficulties faced by the lifter during the second phase of the pull in the clean. Because the athlete grips the bar with the hands closer together in the clean than in the snatch, the lifter’s torso tends to be in a somewhat more upright position and the legs are a little straighter in the starting position. This is a more favorable mechanical position for the athlete so the effort required is smaller than it would be if the athlete lifted the same weight with the snatch grip. Misdirection of the bar is also a little less of a problem in the clean as a heavier bar is harder to misdirect. However, it is more difficult to accelerate the bar in the clean, due both to the greater weight that is on the bar in the clean and the shorter distance that the lifter has to accomplish any acceleration. (A lesser degree of acceleration is acceptable because the athlete does not need to raise the bar as high in the clean as in the snatch.)</p>
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<p dir="auto">Given all the aforementioned considerations, it is generally preferable to exert a low to medium degree of force in the snatch during the second phase of the pull and then to exert maximum force during the fourth phase. In the clean, a medium or even greater effort in the second phase of the pull and then a maximum effort in the fourth phase are the most appropriate tempo for most lifters. Nevertheless, it should be noted that certain lifters make every effort to exert maximum force throughout the pull. Many of the Bulgarians </p>
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<p dir="auto">appear to be doing this. Certainly there are many World Champions who seem to have pulled with a maximal effort all of the way.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Why are different tempos in the pull effective? One reason may be the bodily proportions of the lifter (e.g., athletes whose proportions enable them to apply force to bar for a longer period of time may be able to increase the force they apply more gradually than athletes who do not have the same ability). Another reason may lie in the trade-off between lifters who have a longer adjustment phase in the pull and those who have a shorter one; the former may lose so much speed during that phase that a rapid second phase of the pull is not very helpful overall. Still another reason may be that lifters have different compositions of muscle (e.g., fast twitch vs. slow twitch) and different abilities to activate those muscles explosively. A lifter who can reach a maximum level of force quickly may be better able to pull smoothly and then accelerate the bar suddenly. The lifter who does not have such a capacity may have to begin applying maximum effort earlier in order to achieve maximum force output at the desired stage in the pull.</p>
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<p dir="auto">All of these issues should be considered in determining the best style for a given lifter, at least at a given stage of his or her career. Often, experimentation is the only way for the lifter to determine what is best for him or her. If such experimentation suggests that a lifter can achieve maximum results with more than one tempo, the one that leads to the greatest consistency in performance and causes least strain on the joints is to be preferred.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Whether the lifter begins the pull slowly or as rapidly as possible, it must be remembered that several things should be occurring during the second phase of the pull. First, the knee joints straighten and go backward, out of the way of the bar. Second, the angle of the torso in relation to the floor should not change significantly during the second phase of the pull (the torso may straighten somewhat during the end of this stage). Third, the shoulders should move forward to a position in front of the bar as the second phase of the pull progresses. Fourth, the bar should move rearward toward the lifter’s body from its initial position on the platform (this process continues during the third phase of the pull).</p>
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<br>]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 68]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2068/2022-02-28T12:00:50.046621+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-28T12:00:50.046621+00:00<![CDATA[<h2 dir="auto">Different Methods of Executing the First Phase of the Pull</h2>
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<p dir="auto">Perhaps the majority of beginning and intermediate lifters begin to exert the force necessary to separate the bar from the platform from a stationary position. That is, these lifters carefully assure their starting positions while holding onto the bar, setting their position and then pausing before beginning to exert the force necessary to separate the bar from the platform. Since there is a high probability that as a will finish as he or she starts, it makes sense to start the bar very carefully.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Although care in positioning the body for the start of the pull is laudable, it is not the only consideration in finding an optimal starting technique. Offsetting the advantages of a start from a stationary position are two well known physiological principles. First, a muscle which is stretched before it is contracted will contract more forcefully than one that is not. Second, as the lifter “sits” in the starting position, the muscles of the hips, legs and back contract isometrically to support the body, which fatigues the muscles somewhat. (It is true that the muscle fibers involved in supporting the body in this position tend not to become easily fatigued and that they are assisted by other more rested fibers in lifting the bar; this phenomenon is explained in Appendix II, which discusses muscle physiology.) In order to minimize muscle fatigue, many lifters attempt to relax the leg, hip and/or back muscles just prior to exerting force against the bar. Some lifters simply sit in a fairly deep squat position with the hands on the bar and then straighten the back and legs to begin the contraction of those muscles, ultimately lifting the bar when the legs and torso have been raised to the position from which the lifter normally begins the liftoff. This style was particularly popular with the Bulgarians of the 1980s and is still used by many lifters today, </p>
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<p dir="auto">Other lifters get their bodies more or less positioned for the start of the pull, except that their hips are higher than their starting position. Then, just before they begin to pull, they lower the hips to the starting position and then start the pull. Some lifters even raise and lower the hips several times in a sort of pumping motion.</p>
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<p dir="auto">A very small number of lifters (including some of very high ability) use what is called a “dive” style. In this style, the lifter slowly lowers the body in a manner that is approximately the reverse of the pulling motion. As soon as the hands are in a position to grip the bar the athlete does so and begins the pull. In using the dive style, the lifter probably gains, in the most effective way possible. some of the advantages available to an athlete who pre-stretches the muscles of the body, but there is a trade-off in that the athlete does not have much time to set his or her grip or to be sure that the body is in just the right position to begin the pull.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Which technique is the best? That will depend on the lifter and the lift. The lifter who relies on a rapid pull from the floor to accelerate the bar will tend to benefit from some form of dynamic start that is between the extremes of the stationary start and dive style, and some may even find the dive style to be useful (this is more likely to be the case in the clean, where the acceleration in the second part of the pull tends to be smaller than in the snatch and the start from the floor more difficult). The dive will be most attractive for the athlete who pulls rapidly from the floor, can time the start of the pull correctly and has no trouble with a fast gripping of the bar.</p>
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<p dir="auto">A lifter who pulls relatively slowly from the floor and has trouble concentrating if the body is moving needs to be stationary before the pull begins; one who has trouble finding the correct starting position may be better served with a stationary position than a more dynamic one. A compromise position for a lifter who has trouble with a dynamic start is a static start that is held as briefly as possible. Whichever style is chosen, the method of the start tends not to be a “make or break” matter since most lifters rely more on the explosion that take place during phase four of the pull than the preliminary acceleration of phase two to get the bar to the necessary height with the required momentum, particularly in the snatch.</p>
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]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 67]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2067/2022-02-28T11:59:34.594775+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-28T11:59:34.594775+00:00<![CDATA[<h1 dir="auto">Optimizing Various Aspects of the Pull</h1>
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<h2 dir="auto">Executing the Second Stage of the Pull with the Hips Low Versus High</h2>
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<p dir="auto">Some lifters perform a portion of the first phase of the pull with their hips in a relatively low position (e.g., with the hips joints at, below or slightly above the level of the knees). Others prepare to lift the bar with their hips significantly higher than the knees. Observers of athletes who begin with their hips low often make the mistake of assuming that the lifter is actually lifting the bar from that position. In fact, the lifter with the low hip preparatory position typically moves his or her hips up considerably as force is applied to the bar, so that at the actual moment of liftoff the hips are well above the bar. In contrast, the lifter who sets his or her body with the hips high typically does not move the hips until the bar moves as well. Therefore, the lifter who executes stage one of the pull with the hips low may actually lift the bar from the platform with his or her hips in a higher position than the athlete who finishes the first stage of the pull with the hips higher; any argument that a lifter is starting with the hips too low is an incorrect one. While this point may obvious, it is often not easy to determine just where a lifter’s hips are as the bar leaves the platform, even if the lifter’s hips are moving slowly. In such a case, a little slow-motion film will prove to be enlightening.</p>
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<p dir="auto">Among lifters with sound technique, differences with respect to starting hip position have to do with anatomical differences. In assuming a correct starting position, different lifters will have their hips in different positions in relation to the bar. These differences are incidental from the standpoint of effective technique as long as the lifter’s balance is over the middle area of the foot, the shoulders are held in a position directly over the bar, the shins are touching the bar, or nearly so, and the proper muscle tensions are maintained (e.g., the back is solidly locked into position).</p>
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<p dir="auto">Actually entering stage two of the pull with the hips low can be a problem if the hips are so low that: a) the weight of the athlete and bar combined are positioned toward the back of the foot as the bar is started from the platform; or b) the back, particularly the lower back, is rounded; or e) the shoulder joints are behind the bar. If one or more of these conditions exists, the bar will almost certainly be directed improperly during some or all of the rest of the lift (e.g., the bar may travel forward from its starting position instead of back during the early phases of the pull, or the bar may be misdirected rearward at later stages in the pull). This is unfortunate, since errors or this type are among the easiest ones for the lifter and coach to correct. The lifter need only be aware of where the weight is distributed on his or her foot to correct the first problem. Immediate feedback from the coach is needed to correct errors in back or shoulder positioning. They tend to arise simply from the athlete having no feedback on his or her position and failing to associate the feelings he or she is experiencing with faulty positioning.</p>
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<p dir="auto">One other issue with regard to hip positioning at the start of the actual liftoff has to do with the trade-off between hip position and torso angle. The lower the hips at the start of the pull, the more upright the torso will tend to be as the bar is lifted from the platform and during the balance of the lift. A more upright torso tends to reduce the strain that is placed on the torso muscles during the pull, but it also reduces the distance over which those muscles can operate to raise the bar.</p>
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<br>]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 66]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2066/2022-02-25T09:40:55.436461+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-25T09:40:55.436461+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto"> Foot Spacing for the Jerk</p>
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<p dir="auto">Most lifters assume a foot position in the jerk that is similar to the one they use in the pull. The most common position is the so called “jumping” position, the same position that the lifter would assume in order to achieve a maximum standing. jump height (usually about the width of the hips with a minor turning out of the toes). This position may promote application of maximum force during the explosion phase of the jerk, but, in the jerk as in the pull, some lifters will find this position ineffective overall.</p>
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<p dir="auto">For example, in the jerk some lifters have a tendency to lean forward at the torso when they are dipping with a jumping stance. This can often be corrected by shortening the lifter’s dip and asking the lifter to focus on a strictly vertical dip. Despite these efforts, the lifter may persist in dipping forward. In such a case, many lifters will find it easier to keep the back in an arched position and to dip straight with a wider and/or more turned-out foot position (particularly if the knees travel over the toes during the dip). If the lifter uses such a position, something may indeed be given up in terms of the power developed in the drive, but improved control over the direction of the drive may well make such a loss acceptable.</p>
<p dir="auto">Trade-free fitness at www.myworkoutarena.com<br></p>
<br>]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 65]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2065/2022-02-24T09:06:59.752110+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-24T09:06:59.752110+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">An Uncommon Foot Position for the Pull: The Frog-Leg Style</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">From the 1960’s through the mid 1970’s seven Japanese lifters set a total of 30 world snatch records. Two of those lifters, Yoshinobu Miyake and Masashi Ohuchi, astounded the weightlifting world with their prowess in the snatch: Miyake with eleven world records and Ohuchi by snatching a world record in the 82.5 kg. class weighing only a little above the 75 kg. class limit! The Japanese lifters of this era used the “frog” style in the pullthe most distinctive characteristic of which is a starting position with the lifter’s heels together and the toes and knees at an angle of approximately 75 degrees or more in relation to one another. In this position the hips are closer to the bar at the start of the pull than in the conventional style. Figure 12 illustrates the frog leg position in the snatch (the angle of the feet is normally greater in the snatch) than the clean).</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Most of the frog style lifters (Miyake in particular) started their pulls with their hips lower than was typical in their day. (Miyake’s habit of sitting with his hips in a low position in preparation for the pull and then raising them as he applied force to lift the bar from the platform made the starting position of his hips appear to be even lower than it really was.) In addition, they held their torsos at a greater angle to the platform (i.e., in a more upright position) than did their contemporaries, who used a conventional pulling style. It was from this unusual starting position, which has some resemblance to the position in which a frog sits, that the style probably got its name.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">From their starting position, most of the frog stylists drop their hips momentarily and then, while rebounding slightly from this low position, begin their pull (many froggers pull as hard as possible from the start, although there are some who pull more slowly). The combined weight of the bar and lifter is felt on the middle of the foot or even slightly forward of the middle. The Japanese frog stylists suggest that the angle of the back should remain the same during the pull from the floor to the knees and that the hips should move upward and not back. Once the bar has passed the knees, the hips are driven forward toward the bar. Advocates of the frog style generally recommend beginning the final explosion of the pull with the bar at or above the height of the middle of the thigh. They recognize that the foot position assumed during the first stage of the pull inhibits the forward drive of the hips during the final explosion but feel that there is an offsetting advantage in that the hips move more directly upward, yielding a straighter final pull. In addition, the froggers feel that because they begin their final explosions in the pull later than most lifters, the chance of “swing” (a horizontal as well as vertical movement of the bar) is reduced.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">The Soviets studied the style during the 1970s and concluded that: a) it was suited for the peculiarities of the “oriental physique” more than the occidental; and b) the turned-out feet meant that the anterior/posterior balance point on the foot was smaller than in the conventional style, making the pull less stable and reducing the athlete’s ability to use the back muscles properly during the pull. By the time this analysis was made, the Japanese lifters and their defenders had faded from the international scene, and the long dominance of the Eastern Europeans had begun. Just as the frog may have received too much attention when Miyake, Ohuchi and other Japanese were breaking records, it may have been too quickly dismissed once they departed the competitive platform.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Two criticisms of the Soviet analysis are apparent today. First, the analysis was primitive by today’s standards. Therefore, any conclusions reached at that time bear some re-examination in more modern era. After all, it was during this sa period that many Soviet theorists predicted the “modern” (post-press) lifter would be leaner and more athletic in appearance than the lifters of earlier years. The days of the stocky little man were over, they said. (Fortunately, the great World and Olympic Champion, Naim Suleymanoglu, was either unaware of or unwilling to accept such a hypothesis). The linking of an “oriental” body type to the frog was a crude explanation even then. Any observer could have seen that Miyake’s and Ohuchi’s body types were quite different (as were the bodies of other Japanese lifters). Consequently the effectiveness of the style was not related to one body “type,” at least as defined by the analysts who made the claim.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Second, the arguments that the frog style is more precarious than the conventional style because of the athlete’s foot position or that the back muscles can be used less while employing the frog style are a classic case of oversimplification. Such oversimplification arises out of the focus on one or two aspects of technique to the exclusion of all others. It is true that the athlete has a smaller base of support when pulling with the frog style, but the frog has advantages that tend to offset that disadvantage. Since the knees are spread wider in the frog style than in the conventional style, partly due to the foot position that is used in the frog style, the bar can pass the knees with less need for the knees to move backward and then forward. The result is that less fore-aft instability is produced during the pull, and the length of the transitional phase of the pull can be shortened. Hence the body is able to balance in a smaller area. In addition, since the back works differently in the frog than in the conventional style, the need for strength in the muscles that straighten the torso is diminished in the frog style.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">The success of the Japanese lifters with the frog does not necessarily prove the efficacy of that style. Champion lifters can certainly be wrong about technique, and they often are. However, the frog style does have some special things to recommend it. First is the outstanding ability of the Japanese who mastered it. Beyond the famous ones, there are several reports of even more remarkable feats performed with the frog-leg style by less well known lifters, including cases of Japanese lifters who improved dramatically when they converted to the frog style from the conventional style.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">There have been many success stories from American lifters who have tried the frog style as well. Eight-time United States national champion Mike Karchut had significant success with the style, as did Chuck Nootens, a former American record holder in the snatch. Former World Champion Joe Dube, who for many years struggled with a relatively poor snatch, became a multi-time American record holder and world class snatcher when he switched to the frog. On a more personal note, while hardly known as a great snatcher, I used both the frog and various more conventional styles during my career and was more consistent with the frog. Even if I abandoned the frog style for years at a time (which I did several times during my career), I was always able to snatch as much or more with the frog as with the conventional style on my first try (not a wise practice, but it did prove a point to me).</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">None of this is to say that everyone, or even anyone, should go out and master the frog tomorrow. Today’s conventional style is well proven, likely to be better coached and probably better suited for most lifters. Instead, the evidence regarding the frog style suggests that the style may have been inappropriately dismissed and that at least some new research focusing on more aspects of the lift than the balance on the feet) should be conducted. It is a style that clearly has value for at least some lifters. In addition, the story of the frog style offers us all a valuable lesson about style. All that can be known about style has not yet been learned, and some of what we have learned along the way may have been forgotten as fashions changed. Alternative techniques that are superior to anything that is used today may still be out there. Neither the coach nor the athlete should assume there is no need to think about or to experiment with new techniques. The science of weightlifting is still young.</p>
<p dir="auto">Trade-free fitness at www.myworkoutarena.com<br></p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 64]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2064/2022-02-23T09:14:31.463538+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-23T09:14:31.463538+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Selecting an Optimal Foot Spacing</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Foot Spacing for the Pull</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Athletes will often ask about the correct foot stance for the pull. The answer given by most coaches is that the best stance is the one from which the athlete can jump the highest since, they argue, the final explosion in the pull is like a jump. There is a lot to be said for such advice. The final explosion in the pull is like a jump in many ways, and position that is functional for a jump may well be best for executing the final explosion in the pull. In addition, the jumping position (which is generally with the feet spaced at approximately at shoulders’ width) permits the lifter to assume his or her full height when standing. In contrast, if the lifter stands with the feet wider, he or she will be slightly shorter. This will result in the bar being at a lower position than is usual when the lifter is performing the final explosion or assuming the extended position. Consequently, the bar will need to travel higher in relation to the position of the body with a stance that is wider than shoulders’ width.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Despite the advantages of pulling with the feet in a jumping position, some lifters will find it hard to assume a correct starting position in the pull with the feet so placed. Their flexibility and body proportions may cause them to round their backs, to raise the hips faster than the shoulders, or to make some other important error in the start of the pull If the trade-offs a lifter must make in order to keep his or her feet in a jumping position are too great, any advantages of such a position are overcome by the disadvantages. If a lifter has trouble finding a strong starting position in the pull, widening the stance and/or turning the toes out more than usual will often help. Something may be given up in the explosion, but that may be worth giving up in order to gain a correct and secure position at the start or in any of the first three phases of the pull. Only the coach and lifter can decide this, and it must be done case by case. The main point is that blind obedience to the generalities of technique can result in less than optimal performance for at least some athletes.</p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 63]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2063/2022-02-22T09:01:02.905436+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-22T09:01:02.905436+00:00<![CDATA[<h1 dir="auto">Hand Spacing for the Jerk</h1>
<br>
<p dir="auto">As indicated above, most lifters use the same grip for the clean as for the jerk (i.e., a width between the insides of the hands from 16“ to 26“, with most lifters using a grip in the 17“ to 22“ range). A narrow grip in the jerk places less strain on the muscles of the shoulders than does a wider grip and generally permits the athlete to thrust more forcefully with the arms in the later stages of the jerk. However, with a wider grip, the bar does not need to be lifted quite as high, and many lifters feel that with a wider grip they can both get the bar further behind their head and rotate their shoulders to a greater degree (a position considered to be more stable by many lifters). In addition, a wider grip generally enables the lifter to get his or her chest out while preparing for the jerk and to support the bar more solidly on the shoulders. As with other technique issues, the trade-offs between wider and narrower hand spacings will need to be considered and experimented with</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">One final factor to consider in choosing a grip for the jerk is the grip that is used in the clean. While it is possible to move the grip between the clean and the jerk, doing so adds another variable to preparing for the jerk. It is a relatively easy to straighten the torso or to rearrange the position of the bar in relation to the neck after the clean. Rearranging the spacing of the hands is more difficult because each hand may move to a different degree, thereby creating an uneven grip. Therefore, where it is possible to select a grip that is relatively effective for both the clean and the jerk, that should be done.</p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 62]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2062/2022-02-21T09:15:06.988369+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-21T09:15:06.988369+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Hand Spacing for the Clean</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">The common advice given to the beginning lifter with respect to grip width in the clean is that the grip should be “shoulder width.” This generally means a grip that is wide enough to position the inside of the hand just outside the shoulders when the bar is resting on the lifter’s shoulders. Individual grip widths vary from approximately 16“ to 26“ between the insides of the hands (with most lifters being between 17“ and 22“), although there have been some international level lifters who have used grips that were even wider or narrower. Most lifters execute the clean and the jerk with the same grip width, but there have been some very successful lifters who have switched their grip widths after the clean, almost invariably widening the grip after the clean.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">As noted earlier, a narrower grip (up to the point of being shoulder width) generally makes it easier for the lifter to start the bar from the floor. In general it also tends to make bar contact with the thighs and body steadier during the lift. Most lifters find it easier to place their elbows in a high position when they receive the weight on the shoulders in the clean with a narrower grip. A wider grip in the clean leads to greater difficulty for the lifter in taking the bar from the floor than does a narrower grip, but the bar is generally more easily lifted to a greater height with a wider grip. A wider grip will also force the lifter to lean forward at the torso during the pull to a greater extent than happens with a narrow grip. This places a greater strain on the muscles of the spine an the hip extensors, with the result that the lifter will have a greater tendency to shift the body further back! toward the heels and perhaps to straighten the torso prematurely during the pull than he or she would with a narrow grip. This results in the lifter’s pulling and jumping back. Most lifters find it somewhat more difficult to get the elbows up in the bottom position of the clean with a wide grip (a problem that can be overcome to a certain extent by pushing in as well as up when whipping the elbows (a tip I learned from a very analytical coach and lifter named Mark Gilman).</p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 61]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2061/2022-02-20T06:10:04.336850+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-20T06:10:04.336850+00:00<![CDATA[<h1 dir="auto">Selecting an Optimal Hand Spacing</h1>
<br>
<h2 dir="auto">Hand Spacing for the Snatch</h2>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Optimal hand spacing in the snatch is dependent on a number of factors, and, as stated earlier, there are trade-offs in the selection of a grip width. There are often “rules of thumb” given in various weightlifting manuals for selecting the width of the snatch grip. For example, one text suggests that the distance between the hands be equal to the distance between the lifter’s elbows when they are held out to the sides at a position level with the shoulders. Such rules of thumb are of very limited value because they take into account only the length of the lifter’s arms and the width of his or her trunk. They fail to consider an even more important relationship: the relationship between the length of the lifter’s trunk and the length of his or her arms. A more precise measure has been suggested by a number of Eastern European writers. They recommend a grip width in which the angle of the arms in relation to the bar is between 49 and 63. However, even such a measure does not take into account such factors as the length of the lifter’s torso in relation to the arms.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">One simple technique that does take this relationship into account is to have the lifter hold the bar with straight arms while pushing the chest out and pulling the shoulders back but not up. Next the lifter should bend forward slightly at the waist (with the back arched) and bend the thighs several inches. The lifter then adjusts the width of the grip so that the bar contacts the top of the thighs or the crease of the hips (the area where the most solid bar contact will occur during the pull of most lifters). However, even this is just a beginning point for selecting a grip width. The lifter should fine tune the width of the grip by considering and experimenting with the following factors.</p>
<br>
<ol dir="auto">
<li>Shoulder flexibility, strength and joint structure: A lifter with very flexible shoulders will be able to grip the bar comfortably at virtually any width (i.e., from shoulder width to a position in which the outside of the lifter’s hands touch the inside collar of the bar). As a general rule, the narrower the grip in the snatch, the smaller the strain on the shoulder muscles. However, a narrower grip in the snatch tends to place more of a twisting force on the shoulder joint than does a wider one. On the other hand, a grip that is extremely wide places an enormous strain on the shoulder muscles and the shoulder joints when they are supporting the weight. Lifters who have snatch grips that are either very wide or very narrow have tended to have more shoulder problems than lifters with more moderate grip positions. When experimenting with grip width, it is essential that the lifter make any changes very gradually. This is particularly true of more experienced lifters who have been using a particular grip for some time. They are strong enough to lift very heavy weights and are conditioned to handle a certain grip width. Any significant change can result in an injury. I know at least one nationally ranked lifter who virtually ended his career as a result of a shoulder dislocation that occurred when (on the advice of a well known coach) he widened his grip significantly after many years of lifting and tried a near maximum weight shortly thereafter.</li>
</ol>
<br>
<ol dir="auto" start="2">
<li>Elbow joint stability: The majority of lifters have arms that lock in a straight position when they straighten their arms to the greatest extent possible. However, some lifters are able to hyperextend their elbows (.e., to have an angle between the forearm and upper arm, measured at the crook of the elbow, that is greater than 180’) and others cannot straighten their arms fully. The lifter with the hyperextended elbow will need to exercise care in finding the arm position in which the elbow is most stable when the bar is overhead. If the grip is too narrow and the shoulder is rotated too much, a shearing force can be placed on the ligaments of the elbow, exposing them to injury if the bar becomes mispositioned while it is supported overhead. If, on the other hand, the grip is too wide, the arm can be placed in a position where the ligaments of the elbow joint are put under a great direct strain, and that can expose the elbow joint to injury.</li>
</ol>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Another factor affecting elbow stability is the position of the elbow in relation to the ground when the bar is overhead. If the crook of the elbow is facing directly up to the ceiling, there is more direct strain placed on the elbow joint than if the crook of the elbow points forward and up. However, if the crook of the elbow is rotated too much (i.e., the crook points only forward, or even down), there can be sufficient shearing force on the elbow to expose it to danger.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Fortunately, few lifters ever have any elbow problems, and it is rare for an elbow to act up without warning (so any such warning should be heeded). Moreover, elbow problems can nearly always be eliminated with appropriate corrections in technique. The only exceptions to this are some lifters who have some anatomical lack of stability in the elbows or shoulders, such as a significant hyperextension of the elbow. Even these lifters are likely to be able to minimize their physical limitations with careful experimentation.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">It should be noted that perhaps the greatest risk to elbow and shoulder integrity arises out of the movement of the bar and body as the weight is received in the overhead position rather than the position of the elbow alone. If the bar has a long distance to drop in the unsupported squat under phase, it will pick up more downward speed and will therefore place more of a strain on the elbows. the wrists and the shoulders when it is caught. In contrast, if the distance over which the bar is brought to a stop in the supported squat under is lengthened, there will be less force at any particular point and the strain on the elbows and shoulders will be minimized. Similarly, when the bar and lifter are moving horizontally, in opposite directions as the bar is caught (e.g., the shoulders of the lifter are moving well forward and the bar is moving backward), strain on the arms and shoulders is increased more than when the movements of the lifter’s body and the bar are more vertical. Consequently, a large “swing” of the bar (i.e., a horizontal motion) and/or a significant movement of the torso forward when the lifter is executing the squat under place the lifter at greater risk. Grip width can affect the degree of relative horizontal motion of the body and bar, so the individual lifter will need to experiment to determine the best grip.</p>
<br>
<ol dir="auto" start="3">
<li>Thigh contact and pulling strength: In the snatch most lifters make thigh contact with the bar at a point that is approximately one-third to one half of the way up the thigh from the knee. However, others do not have any contact until the bar is nearly at the top of the thighs. The bar loses contact with the body of some lifters about onethird from the top of the thigh, and others have solid contact until the bar reaches the height of the hips. Different lifters are more efficient with one approach or another (because of differences in the relative strength of their leg and back muscles and because of differences in the lengths of the body links and positions from lifter to lifter), Clearly, if the grip is so wide that the lifter does not contact the bar until it is above the level of the hips or the grip is so narrow that the bar contacts the thighs just above the knees and leaves the thighs before the bar reaches mid-thigh level, the lifter should at least try a more mainstream grip and body position.</li>
</ol>
<br>
<ol dir="auto" start="4">
<li>Achieving a correct starting position in the pull: Some lifters will note that if the grip is too wide, they will have difficulty maintaining an arched back when they take the bar off the floor. Since a correct starting position is important, lifters who find themselves in this situation should either become more flexible or narrow the grip.</li>
</ol>
<br>
<ol dir="auto" start="5">
<li>The height necessary in order to fix the bar: There is no question that the bar will not have to be lifted as high with a wide grip as with a narrower grip. All things being equal, a wider grip places the bar closer to the ground and to the lifter’s body. This lower position also gives the lifter greater stability (a lower center of gravity yields greater stability).</li>
</ol>
<br>
<ol dir="auto" start="6">
<li>Grip strength and hand size: Most lifters will find that the wider their grip, the more difficult it will be to hold onto the bar. With a wide grip the arms exert a horizontal as well as vertical force on the hands (in contrast with the more purely vertical pull against the fingers that occurs when the forearm is in line with the hand, as happens during the clean). This causes the outer fingers of the hand to open slightly and the forearm to be placed in a diagonal position relative to the hand. This position is somewhat less secure for holding the bar in the hand. The lifter with large hands will be less affected by this positioning because his or her fingers can grip the bar effectively even if they are opened slightly. The lifter with a small hands can experience a significant problem if the grip of the outer fingers is affected sufficiently Naturally grip strength is also a factor, as the lifter with a surplus of grip strength will have little difficulty in holding onto the bar even if the hands are placed at a less favorable angle. Any hand position that results in the lifter losing his or her grip (or loosening it sufficiently to cause the lifter to reduce the explosiveness of his or her pull) is too wide for the lifter at that point in time. The option is either to strengthen the grip or to move it in. The correct solution may be difficult to determine early in a lifting career as almost anyone can hold onto the bar with light weights (although even relative beginners may notice a grip problem stemming from the wide grip when doing reps).</li>
</ol>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 60]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2060/2022-02-20T06:08:54.715944+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-20T06:08:54.715944+00:00<![CDATA[<h1 dir="auto">The Trade-Offs In Technique And Their Role In Individualization</h1>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Although there are obviously many basic principles that must be followed by all lifters to achieve optimal technique, there are also a number of judgments that every lifter must make about the technique that he or she will employ in the snatch and C&J on the basis of general weightlifting principles and his or her individual characteristics. It is easier to understand the need for these kinds of choices regarding technique if we realize that many aspects of technique involve trade-offs. As an example, consider the trade-offs that exist with respect to selecting the width of you grip for the snatch. The wider the athlete grips the bar in the snatch, the higher the bar is lifted merely by the athlete’s standing erect with the bar in his or her hands. As a result, less effort is needed in order to lift the bar to the required height from the point where the body reaches a straightened position (after which it is not possible to apply any significant amount of additional force to the bar). In addition, a wider grip in the snatch means that the bar does not have to be lifted as high with a narrower grip (the bar is closer to the top of the lifter’s head and the trunk in the overhead position)</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">The advantages of a wider grip are offset by several disadvantages. First, the athlete will find it harder to lift the bar from the floor with a wider grip (because the torso must lean forward more and/or the legs must be bent to a greater degree to reach the bar). Second, it is generally harder for the athlete to hold onto the bar securely with a wider grip (unless the lifter’s hand are actually in contact with the inside collars of the bar ). Third, a wider grip can place more strain on the shoulder muscles, while the stress on the shoulder joint itself will be of different nature with a wide as opposed to a narrow grip (e.g., the shoulders are generally twisted more with a narrow grip).</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Which grip is better? That depends on the interaction of these various aspects as they present themselves to a specific athlete at a specific stage of that athlete’s development. The athlete must work to find the grip that incorporates the most and most significant advantages while presenting the fewest and least important disadvantages for that athlete. The trade-offs in technique variables must be weighed and properly balanced. To further illustrate this point, consider the issue of selecting a proper grip in the snatch in more detail. We will then examine other areas of technique which involve choices.</p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 59]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2059/2022-02-18T09:40:09.150533+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-18T09:40:09.150533+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">The Squat Style of Jerking</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">He Yingqiang of China registered an historic moment at the 1986 World Weightlifting Championships. He executed a successful jerk by lowering the body into a full squat position during the squat under. After the clean, which was performed with the normal slightly wider than shoulder width grip, He lowered his body into a full squat position to fix the bar overhead and then recovered from that full squat position without difficulty to complete the lift. Analysis of He’s technique showed that he drove the bar only a little less high than the average lifter during his lift and really only needed to lower the body into a half squat position in order to catch the bar. However, when the lifter catches the bar with such a heavy weight and with the knees bent at such an angle, a combination of balance difficulties and mechanical weakness seems to require an extremely long amortization phase. As a result, He Yingqiang traveled all of the way into the full squat before recovering.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">He’s lift was interesting for several reasons. First, it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that a full squat jerk could be successfully performed with top poundages. (He finished second overall and third in the jerk that day. Second, it supported the contention that recovery from a deep squat position is assisted by the fore-aft movement of the shoulders and hips (a degree of movement that is not possible when the bar is resting on the shoulders instead of at arm’s length). This point was made when He made a relatively difficult recovery from the squat clean and seconds later made a far easier recovery from the squat position in the jerk.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">The reaction to He’s style was varied. Some viewed the performance as essentially a one-time event, and others saw it as the kind of style that would someday become predominant. He’s performance in the C&J remained at relatively the same level in subsequent years. Since that time a number of other world class athletes have employed the squat style in the jerk (perhaps most notably the 1996 Olympic Champion in the 70 kg. class, Zhan Xugang). Figure 11 depicts Zhan performing the squat style jerk.</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">However, it generally takes a combination of technical superiority and outright superiority for a lifter’s performance to motivate people to consider changing technique on a grand scale. While it seems very unlikely that the squat style jerk will ever emerge as the dominant style, it is a virtual certainty that before that could ever occur, more lifters will need to achieve a level of clear superiority using that style and it is probable that at least one lifter will have to achieve outright dominance it the jerk for this style to achieve true popularity).</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">Nevertheless, He and his successors have shown that another style is available in the jerk, at least for lifters who have special needs and abilities. He has offered us a clear demonstration of the point that there is still much room for technique innovation in the sport of weightlifting.</p>
<p dir="auto">trade-free fitness at www.myworkoutarena.com<br></p>
]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 58]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2058/2022-02-17T08:47:11.818832+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-17T08:47:11.818832+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">The Recovery from the Low Position in the Split Jerk</p>
<br>
<p dir="auto">The recovery of the lifter from the low split position in the jerk is similar to the process described for the recovery from the low split position in the snatch described earlier; the lifter straightens the front leg while shifting the hips, torso and bar toward the back leg (i.e., the lifter is pushing back as well as up with the front leg). At the end of this motion, when the body has risen nearly as high as possible without moving the feet, the lifter (with the weight shifted toward the rear leg) slides or slightly lifts the front foot back to a position approximating its starting position. The back foot is then brought forward to a position in line with the front foot.</p>
<br>
<h1 dir="auto">The Power Style of Jerking</h1>
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<p dir="auto">The power style of jerking involves lowering the body into a partial squat during the fifth and sixth stages of the jerk (usually accompanied by a small sideways jump of the feet as well). While the split style in the jerk is acknowledged as offering the lifter greater stability and capacity to lower the body in the jerk than does a half squat, users of the power style of jerking have appeared periodically on the international platform over the past several decades. Paul Anderson used a modified push jerk during the 1950s. He merely drove the bar with his legs and then pressed it up quickly with his arms the rest of the way, never bothering to rebend his legs (today the technical rules are interpreted in such a way that a second bend of the legs is required). A. Nemessanyi, an Olympic medalist in the 1960s, V. Sots, a Soviet World Champion and world record holder in the C&J in the early 1980s, and two time Olympic Champions (both in 1992 and 1996) P. Dimas and A. Kakhiashvilis are among the most famous practitioners of the true power jerk style. Figure 10 illustrates the power jerk style as performed by Kakhiashvilis.</p>
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<p dir="auto">In analyzing V. Sots’ technique in the power jerk, the Soviets found that he had a shorter braking phase in the dip, did not bend his knees as much as is normal in the dip and drove the bar a little longer as well. The bar dropped approximately 5 cm when Sots caught it in the half squat. Sots claimed to be better in the power jerk than the split jerk, hence his use of this style in competition. Since the sample of lifters doing the power style jerk in competition is so small, it is not possible to tell whether Sots’ technique is typical of an athlete who would find the power jerk more effective or whether it is peculiar to Sots.</p>
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<p dir="auto">One of the most consistent characteristics of the successful power jerker is shoulder mobility sufficient to permit the athlete to incline the torso forward and lower the hips to a receiving position that requires the power jerker to lift the bar no higher that the typical split jerker</p>
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<p dir="auto">While practicing the power jerk can develop the jerking power of most lifters, it can obviously be used by some lifters as their primary style of jerking. The fledgling lifter would be wise to remember the technical advantages of the split jerk and to master it. The lifters who use the power style successfully will continue to impress audiences with their superior strength. However, most audiences and competitors will be far more impressed by superior ability in the jerk, not by whether a lifter uses the power jerk style or the split style (and the official records of the competition do not indicate which style was used).</p>
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]]><![CDATA[Olympic Weightlifting Encyclopedia 57]]>https://fediverse.blog/~/OlympicWeightlifting/Olympic%20Weightlifting%20Encyclopedia%2057/2022-02-16T09:04:11.153755+00:00myworkoutarenahttps://fediverse.blog/@/myworkoutarena/2022-02-16T09:04:11.153755+00:00<![CDATA[<p dir="auto">The Proper Position for Receiving the Bar in the Split Jerk</p>
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<p dir="auto">The keys to a strong lock position in the jerk are similar to those for the snatch, except that the narrower arm position generally leads to less shoulder rotation and places less strain on the elbows. Nevertheless, the need to rotate the arms, to push up on the bar, to stretch the bar sideways and to pull the shoulder blades together is just as great. In fact, many lifters who have difficulty in locking the arms in the jerk could overcome their instability in that exercise simply by turning the crooks of their elbows forward more distinctly and pulling the shoulder blades together. For most lifters the resulting position will have the bar just over the back of the head or behind it. This position is not only powerful, but it also gives the lifter something of a margin of error.</p>
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<p dir="auto">If for some reason the lifter has difficulty getting the bar behind the head in a given attempt the effort to get the bar there will at least place it directly above the head, where the lifter may have a chance to move the body under the bar and take control. If the lifter’s normal position is with the bar just above the middle of the head or in front of it, any failure to get the bar into that position, even by a small margin, will make it difficult to get the bar under control</p>
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<p dir="auto">It should be noted that there have been some famous and highly successful practitioners of styles which place the bar toward the front of the head. Bob Bednarski and Yuri Vardanian, both former World Champions and world record holders, jerked very successfully when they positioned the bar near the front of the head. They found this to be a strong and comfortable position and it saved time in getting into position under the bar. This is because the body does not have to travel as far under the bar while moving into the split with the bar forward position as it does when the upper body comes through and ends up under the bar. Most lifters are able to move the upper body under at the same time the rest of the split is taking place and so do not give up much in terms of time and any loss of time is generally compensated for by having the bar in a safer position). Nevertheless, Bednarski, Vardanian and a number of others have demonstrated that an alternative position can be very effective.</p>
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<p dir="auto">In terms of stability in the torso in the jerk, the most important point is to keep the torso absolutely straight or inclined slightly forward. This position places minimal strain on the back and puts the lifter in a favorable position from which to adjust his or her balance. Any leaning back of the torso is to be avoided. Such a position is weak and unstable and subjects the spine to great stress. On occasion a high level lifter has emerged with a backward leaning of the torso in the jerk. Such a position does lower the torso and thereby permit the lifter to fix the weight at a lower position, allowing the lifter to hold the bar in front of the head. However, this position cannot be recommended because of the inconsistency it fosters (if the lean back is only slightly too great the torso will lose its rigidity and the lift will be lost) and because of the dangerous stress it places on the lower back; most lifters would be well advised to avoid lay back at any cost.</p>
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<p dir="auto">The keys to stability in the split position are: turning the feet inward slightly (or at least placing them parallel to one another), placing the feet at least at shoulder width and maintaining proper balance on the feet. Maintaining the feet in a position strictly parallel to one another or turning the feet inward slightly (i.e., to a slightly pigeon toed position) assists the maintenance of balance and the safety of the split position in several ways. First, while in the split position, there is a tendency for the feet to be pulled in toward the body. Among the various muscles that are contracting in the legs in order to support the body while it is in the split position are those that pull the legs in toward the body (e.g., the adductors).</p>
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<p dir="auto">This inward pressure is placed toward the heel of each foot (which is where the legs connect with the feet via the ankles). Consequently, there is a tendency for the heels to be pulled in toward the body while friction keeps the toes where they are. The result is that the feet turn out.</p>
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<p dir="auto">The very act of the feet turning out causes the body to lose its balance and stability, making loss of control of the bar more likely. In addition, any significant turning out of the foot of the front leg places the knee of that leg in a very unstable position, putting great strain on the ligaments of the knee instead of the thigh muscles. When the back leg turns in, force is transmitted to the adductor muscles of the thigh and the ligaments of the knee instead of the quadriceps and hip flexors. The knee ligaments and adductor muscles are far less able to withstand pressure than the quads and hip flexors, so the chance of losing a lift and/or being injured in the process are greatly increased. The lifter is also better able to adjust the position of the body forward and back with the feet turned inward or at least held in a parallel position. A further advantage of assuming a slightly pigeontoed position, or at least strictly straight foot position, is that the rear leg will tend to be balanced on all of its toes and the entire ball of the foot instead of primarily on the big toe and the portion of the ball of the foot that lies behind that toe. This position provides a much larger base of support and thereby improves the lifter’s stability.</p>
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