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Q: What are the things to watch out for, posture-wise, when doing olympic barbell lifts? (squats, snatches, etc.)
Simon
A: It’s certainly a good decision from your part to ask what the proper technique for all the Olympic lifts is. When properly executed, the safety of Olympic lifting has been documented in several studies. One study has shown that Olympic lifting has the lowest number of injuries per 100hrs trained compared to both bodybuilding and powerlifting.
The reason for this is Olympic lifts use a much greater range of motion, which exposes the connective tissues, tendons, ligaments and muscle fibers to various angles and degrees of resistance. This helps the body become more functional, in that it can learn to cope with a variety of forces and activities without becoming injured
For each and every Olympic lift, the technique is broken down in different specific phases and it progress as the lift progresses. Although we can certainly point out to you the right direction to go in terms of the key points to be careful about, the technical advices that we can suggest from this answer/article is limited in interaction. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you get your form evaluated with a Trainer, so you can master all the details in every phase of each lift.
The key points for perfect form of all the different phase for the lifts are:
1. Feet
2. Knees
3. Back
4. Shoulders
5. Head
6. Hands
7. Arms
8. Hips
9. Shins
10. Trunk
Pros and Cons of Olympic Weightlifting
Pros
- Large proportion of muscles used
- Enhances coordination, balance and core strength
- Provides a good total workout
- Good transfer to sporting activities
Cons
- Good technique required to be effective
- Good equipment may not be accessible
- Qualified coaches and instructors can be hard to find
Again, we’re insisting on the fact that Olympic lifting could be beneficial for a large group of person, only with the condition of doing it with great details to form.
Sincerely,
Positions for the Clean
1. STARTING POSITION
FEET: hip width apart, flat on the floor
KNEES: at 90-100 degree angle
BACK: flat but not vertical
SHOULDERS: slightly ahead on the bar
HEAD: comfortable, neutral position, eyes looking about 1.5 meters in front of the lifter
HANDS and ARMS: hook grip, shoulder width, elbows rotated outwards, shoulders brought forward
This is a dynamic position which the lifter must be in the moment the bar leaves the platform.
2. BAR AT KNEE HEIGHT
FEET: flat on the floor
SHINS: vertical
KNEES: nearly straight with the bar close to the knee cap
BACK: flat and having approximately the same angle as at the starting position
SHOULDERS: ahead of the bar
ARMS: straight with elbows rotated out
HEAD: position maintained
It is essential that the lifter passes through these positions at this crucial stage of the lift.
3. MAXIMUM UPWARD EXTENSION
FEET: legs and knees straight
HIPS: in and up close to the barbell
ARMS: starting to bend with very strong elevation of the shoulders towards the ears
HEAD: driving up
By obtaining this key position, the momentum of the bar will cause it to continue to rise as the lifter moves his feet.
4. RECEIVING POSITION SQUAT STYLE
FEET: jumped out and apart, flat on the floor
KNEES: turned out and pointing over and in the same direction as the feet
HIPS: set back in the sitting position but close between the heels
BACK: natural curve in the lumbar spine as in a sitting position but upper two thirds of trunk is vertical
ARMS: the bar will be securely sitting high on top of the chest with elbows held high
SPLIT STYLE
FEET: split fore and aft, front foot flat on the platform with the toe turned slightly inwards. Rear foot on the ball of the foot with the heel pointing straight up
KNEES: front knee is bent and pushed forward over the front foot, the rear leg is very slightly fixed at the knee
HIPS: square to the front and close towards the front heel
TRUNK: inclined slightly backwards due to forward action of the hips
ARMS: elbows not as high because the trunk is inclined backwards. Bar is secure on the the top of the chest
Key Positions for the Jerk
1. STARTING POSITION
FEET: hip width apart, flat on the floor
TRUNK: upright, chest held high, hips square to the front and directly under the shoulders
ARMS: elbows held high securing the bar on the chest
HEAD: chin tucked in
In this position the lifter must recover sufficiently from the heavy clean. He must be able to breath freely pause long enough to be certain of control when doing the jerk.
2. THE DIP
FEET: must remain flat on the floor
TRUNK: must maintain it’s vertical position as in key position 1
HIPS: must tuck in during the dip
ELBOWS: must be kept up supporting the bar on top of the chest
HEAD: chin tucked in
Make certain the elbows don’t drop during the dip allowing the bar to roll forward. The hips are kept tucked in to keep the trunk vertical.
3. THE DRIVE
FEET: high on toes
ARMS: starting to come into play punching vigorously upwards at the top of the drive
HEAD: straight ahead
The upward drive is an essential and vigorous part of the jerk. Can be practiced as an assistance exercise. Drive hard; don’t merely dip and split.
4. RECEIVING POSITION
FEET: a short split, front foot flat on the floor, rear foot on the ball of the toes, pointing fore and aft
TRUNK: upright, shoulders and hips in a vertical line of support
ARMS: strongly locked tight, pressing hard against the weight
HEAD: natural alignment between the arms
Make sure the body is solid under the weight. Fight against the barbell; a lot of determination is necessary. Recover with the rear foot first.
Key Positions for the Snatch
1. STARTING POSITION
FEET: flat on the floor. Not toward the toes
KNEES: angle of 90-100 degrees
BACK: flat but not vertical
SHOULDERS: slightly ahead of the bar
HEAD: in a comfortable, neutral position, eyes looking down about 1.5 meters in front of the lifter
HANDS and ARMS: hook grip, elbows rotated outwards
This is a dynamic position which the lifter must be in at the moment the bar leaves the platform
2. BAR AT THE KNEE HEIGHT
FEET: flat on the floor
SHINS: vertical
BACK: flat and still at approximately the same angle as at the starting position
SHOULDERS: ahead of the bar
ARMS: straight with elbows rotated out
HEAD: position maintained
3. MAXIMUM UPWARD EXTENSION
FEET: high on the toes
KNEES: legs straight
HIPS: in close to the line of the barbell. Bar should be very close to the body
ARMS: starting to bend with a very strong elevation of the shoulders towards the ears
HEAD: driving up
4. RECEIVING POSITION
SQUAT STYLE
FEET: jumped out and pointing over and in the same direction of the feet
HIPS: set back in a sitting position but close between the heels
BACK: natural curve in the lumbar spine, as in sitting position, but the upper two-thirds of the trunk are vertical
ARMS: straight above the head with a strong elbow lock to support the bar
SPLIT STYLE RECEIVING POSITION
FEET: split fore and aft, front foot flat on the platform with the toe turned slightly inwards, rear foot on the ball of the foot with the heel pointing straight up
KNEES: front knee is bent and pushed forward over the front foot, rear leg has very slight flexion at the knee but is strongly supportive
HIPS: square to the front, close to the front heel
TRUNK: upright with arms locked, pushing vigorously against the barbell above the head
Steve Prud'Homme
Fitness Director, Peak Centre Director
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