Hi Arden, I hope I won't clutter things up here, but you're doing great. Your "C" path at the top of your pull is evident in some lifts, like you say. It originates, imo, from earlier in the lift. When watching from the side, the bar is deviating from the "best path" too early, going forward, having to come back again too much. The squatting under is slow, necessitating more arm pulling again, compounding the rearward "C" movement of the bar at the top. Maybe the "high" hangs compound the problem too, at this stage. But, your form is still very good for 8 weeks practice. It's better than mine was at that time.Try to keep bar contact with the thighs as long as possible, postponing the "explosion" and keeping the bar from going forward too much, and try for a fast squat under, not necessarily earlier, that is, don't cut the pull short. You could replace the "high" hang with hang snatches from just above the knee, and force yourself to drag the bar up the thigh from that point, and practice the squatting under.Still, I think all you need is time.Sjaak
Arden,I agree with Sjaak. Your timing of your second pull is just a bit off. You are popping your hips forward a bit too early and the bar is banging off your thighs and circling overhead. If you can wait just a bit longer to pop those hips forward, the bar path should correct itself. Scoop the bar along the thighs a bit longer and explode up when the bar reaches mid-thigh. Is there anyway you can slow down your video? Post what you think is your worst rep at about 25% speed. If you have Microsoft Movie Maker it can be done very easily. Edit the video so that you have the one rep you want, go into "Effects", scroll down to "Slow Movie Down, Half", click and drag onto the clip 2 times. Then render the movie clip. Slowing it down really helps me out when I analyze my lifts.
A very nice session Arden, you deliberate deadlifting to the knees is a big improvement, well done! Don't worry too much about your timing being off, try to put the same deliberation above the knees as you put in below them. Just like you do in you first pull, slow down when the bar gets above the knees, and do not "explode" until you feel some bar sliding. If you can do this in time, it'll be another step closer. The final "pop" should be when you are at least fully erect, otherwise the bar will go forward. Try sometime with the bar slowly pulling it along the thighs from just above the knees to full extension to feel the movement. You mentioned the incomplete extension, well spotted, the ascent of the bar above the knees must come from the levering of hips-> forward, head-> backward, the arms just cables. Incomplete extension means inefficient pull. Could you video some hang lifts from just above the knee, pulling the bar up the thighs? An excellent video for inspiration to practice the pulling up the thighs posted by Shaun is this: watch the second (snatch pull) and fourth (clean pull) exercises, where the Chines lifter is very deliberately practicing the bar movement above the knees.http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=4946.msg19775#msg19775
