Author Topic: Videos: form check (Read 1069 times)

chris lee · « **on:** May 11, 2006, 12:24 AM »

hi guys, i'm new to the board. i am a strongman, i train out of sequim washington with jesse marunde and the sequim crew when i'm back home, and with the football team at western washington university when i'm in school. even though i my training is developed to improve my numbers for strongman events, it is largely founded upon olympic lifting. i've tried to incorporate some old bulgarian training methods into my ideology, while maintaining the proper structure for strongman. anyways, i've been into olympic lifting for about 2 years now, but i've only gone in depth into technique over the last 9 or 10 months. i'm almost completely self taught, which has definitely given me some bad habits, but i've tried to work those out as best i can. anyways, i have a video of a 110kg clean i did not too long ago, just wondering if you guys could take a look at it, and help me out with any form issues you see. i saw in one thread where a guy did like a homemade dartifsh analysis, that was pretty cool, but i dont know enough about computers to do that. this is a weight that i have powercleaned before, but lately my overcompensation on trying to make contact with my thighs has been throwing my second pull too far out in front of me, causing me to not be able to rack the weight. here's the video.

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demirbarlas · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2006, 05:57 AM »

Bad things.

1. Hips too high at start of pull. This compromises your ability to get good leg drive into the first pull (and carryover into the subsequent phases of the lift).
2. You begin the pull with a slightly curved back.
3. You begin with the shoulders past the bar, but lose the position when the bar passes your knees, most likely because of point #4 as well as #2.
4. Overall lack of flexibility. Your position and manner at the start of the pull indicates a certain tightness that I associate with being unable to get low at the start.
5. The fact that the bar is (slightly) crashing at the end of the pull indicates that your elbows may be taking too long to come around.
6. You're staying with the pull too long. This may be a bad habit left from the power-cleaning mentality.

Good things:

1. Not using the arms much in the pull. This is hard for a lot of self-taught weightlifters to get on their own.
2. Overall mechanics. You've got the template of a squat clean in place. It needs to be tweaked, not overhauled.

Unknown things:
1. Not sure if you're facing a mirror, but, if you are, you shouldn't. Face the other way.

Just some opinions. Your mileage may vary.

Chris Ⓐ LeRoux · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2006, 09:01 AM »

Chris,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for posting your video. I agree with Demir that your back is rounded in the start posiition and needs to be flatter or even slightly arched. The bar also is not staying close enough to the body. Attached is your lift with a bar trajectory added, and you will see that the trajectory begins to come away from the body immediately off of the floor and continues away from the body, slightly, throughout the pull. When you flatten/arch your back, try to also keep it close to the body during the pull.

Those interested in obtaining custom Dartfish analysis (and much more is available then provided on this clip), can contact WeightliftingVideoDirect@gmail.com to discuss what we can do for you.

Cheers,

Chris

chris lee · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2006, 10:44 AM »

oh man, i cant thank you guys enough, that was awesome! see, this is the kind of in depth analysis that i cant get on a strongman forum. im in a hurry right now (esci test in like 10 minutes) but when i get back later today i think i have a couple questions that i'll post. thanks again

chris lee · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2006, 12:24 PM »

ok question time. so i noticed the rounded back and high hips myself when i watched some earlier videos, and tried to tweak that, but it was as if i couldnt get into the proper position. its feeling like my arms are too short (they are short, i only have a 5'10" wingspan at 6'1" height) and when i get down, they force me to round my back. as for the hips, i've always heard that they should be above your knees, and below your shoulders, and if i were to drop them much lower, they would be at the same level as my knees. is this what i should be doing? as for flexibility, i have pretty decent flexibility, i can get much lower than that in the start, it's just like i said, i always thought the hips were supposed to be higher than the knees. at what position in the lift should my shoulders no longer be past the bar? also, what can i do to help me get my elbows around faster, and not stay with the pull too long? i'm assuming just practice, but if you have any specific ideas on variations of the lift i can perform that would emphasize this more, or any tips, those would help a lot. thanks again, this is a huge help out to me.

demirbarlas · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2006, 04:47 PM »

"as for the hips, i've always heard that they should be above your knees,"

Yes, but not by too much. Try this link:
http://www.chidlovski.net/liftup/a_demo_non_split_jerk.asp?lift=kakhi

The point, I think, is to start low enough to get a good leg drive. High starts, to me, emphasize the back at the expense of the legs.

"and below your shoulders, and if i were to drop them much lower, they would be at the same level as my knees. is this what i should be doing?"

The point was that you should be leaning out further over the bar at the start of the pull.

"at what position in the lift should my shoulders no longer be past the bar?"

When you begin your second pull. Rather, AS A RESULT of beginning your second pull. Can't describe this too well...

"also, what can i do to help me get my elbows around faster, and not stay with the pull too long?"

Cleans from blocks. In Turkey, even Halil Mutlu still drills on this for speed. Do you know how to do block work?

chris lee · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2006, 05:10 PM »

thanks a ton bro, this is very helpful for me. i planned to start working off of blocks today anyways actually, so thats good. as for your question, i was just planning on doing lots of heavy singles off the blocks, just drilling my second pull and speed. if you have any other ideas on block work, id love to hear them and incorporate them into my routine starting next week.