Author Topic: Technique help!  (Read 1312 times)

Offline Brian Chia

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Technique help!
« on: Jun 21, 2010, 01:47 PM »
Hi guys!

I am new to weightlifting and I am trying to improve my technique. I have lifted weights for many years and I have the done the lifts many times before, albeit with terrible form. I recently joined a gym with platforms and bumpers so I have decided to really focus on weightlifting technique. To give you some background, I am 22, 5' 8", currently 183lbs, and not very coordinated! Here are some of my PRs just to give you an idea of my strength levels:

BS - 430 (belt & sleeves), 405 (beltless)
BP - 325 (touch), 315 (paused)
DL - 585
FS - 325

Oly PRs (all w/ horrible football form)
PS - 195
PC - 265
CJ - 255
J - 275 (from rack)

Here are some of my recent videos, working on weightlifting technique. I would appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism:

061610.mpg

olybarwork.mpg

061810.mpg


Thanks!!

Offline Shaun Le Conte

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #1 on: Jun 22, 2010, 07:59 PM »
I only saw some of the snatches because it takes a while to view youtube videos with my connection, but it looks pretty decent. I see you start with your shoulders behind the bar. Some lifters actually do that at the world level, but most don't. It's probably not something you need to correct.

Good editing on your videos but they are probably too long for most viewers to want to watch in their entirety.

Good luck with feedback.
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Offline Brian Chia

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #2 on: Jun 22, 2010, 09:23 PM »
Thanks Shaun. I know there is quite a bit of footage. I think I tend to setup with my shoulders are behind the bar because I have a relatively short torso compared to my femurs.

Anyway, here is my most recent snatch training. If you're just now reading this thread, you should probably just skip down to this video:

062210.mpg


Thanks again everyone.

Offline Mike Cook

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #3 on: Jun 23, 2010, 10:57 AM »
Here are my suggestions:

Snatch:  It looks to me like the bar is too far in front of you and you are using your arms to get the bar overhead.  Instead, bring the bar in close to you, and push down hard with the legs as you extend through the legs and back.  As you fully extend, aggressively shrug the shoulders.  Then, pull yourself under the bar to catch the bar in the overhead position.

Jerk behind the neck.  You have good vertical alignment.  As the weight gets heavier, you are not going to be able to pop the bar all the way up to a fully locked out position.  You can see on your 235 jerks that you are using your arm strength to straighten  your arms.  If you did something like that in competition, that is called a press out and would be ruled a no good lift.  What you need to do instead is to lower your body so that you catch the bar with extended arms. 
Front Squat:  Looks good.  The important technical parts of the front squat are a good solid lower back lock, upright chest and elbows up.  You've got that pretty good.

Keep up the good work.

Offline Brian Chia

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #4 on: Jun 24, 2010, 09:14 PM »
Here are my suggestions:

Snatch:  It looks to me like the bar is too far in front of you and you are using your arms to get the bar overhead.  Instead, bring the bar in close to you, and push down hard with the legs as you extend through the legs and back.  As you fully extend, aggressively shrug the shoulders.  Then, pull yourself under the bar to catch the bar in the overhead position.

Jerk behind the neck.  You have good vertical alignment.  As the weight gets heavier, you are not going to be able to pop the bar all the way up to a fully locked out position.  You can see on your 235 jerks that you are using your arm strength to straighten  your arms.  If you did something like that in competition, that is called a press out and would be ruled a no good lift.  What you need to do instead is to lower your body so that you catch the bar with extended arms. 
Front Squat:  Looks good.  The important technical parts of the front squat are a good solid lower back lock, upright chest and elbows up.  You've got that pretty good.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks Mike. I think I really need to work on keeping the arms straight, extending fully, and pulling myself under the bar. Do you think there are any benefits to doing power style jerks and dropping into a 1/4 overhead squat or should I just do split jerks? I'm doing BTN jerks not so much to work on comp style jerks but moreso just because I want to develop explosiveness as well as general overhead strength. Should I also work on split jerks from the rack or just do C&J? 

Offline Aussie

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #5 on: Jun 26, 2010, 10:47 PM »
mate, welcome to the sport. It's quite hard to be...well...quite good...but it's worth it.

Further to what others have said, you really need to get your shoulders further over the bar. Try doing a drill my coach has gotten me to do when i lose my place. Start of doing a snatch (For example) deadlift, then high pull, then full snatch. So you start in the snatch position, then as fast as you can take the bar to your hips like a normal deadlift (with plenty of speed), lower the bar, then start again, this time, instead of stopping at your hips, shrug (not pull...shrug the bar as high as you can. Then, do the entire lift. When in the starting position, i've found it useful to keep mindful of a tight feeling in my hamstrings, that tells me that i'm ready to go.

Offline Brian Chia

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #6 on: Jun 28, 2010, 05:39 PM »
mate, welcome to the sport. It's quite hard to be...well...quite good...but it's worth it.

Further to what others have said, you really need to get your shoulders further over the bar. Try doing a drill my coach has gotten me to do when i lose my place. Start of doing a snatch (For example) deadlift, then high pull, then full snatch. So you start in the snatch position, then as fast as you can take the bar to your hips like a normal deadlift (with plenty of speed), lower the bar, then start again, this time, instead of stopping at your hips, shrug (not pull...shrug the bar as high as you can. Then, do the entire lift. When in the starting position, i've found it useful to keep mindful of a tight feeling in my hamstrings, that tells me that i'm ready to go.


Thanks for the help, I appreciate it. Tried to get the shoulders more forward today, but maybe it's still not enough. I'm not sure how upright my torso should be when I start the lift. Does this look any better?

0628snatch.mpg

Offline Aussie

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Re: Technique help!
« Reply #7 on: Jul 02, 2010, 04:28 AM »
Not bad mate. Not bad at all. The lift you did at the 1.45m mark was a great lift.

I guess another observation I'd like to make is that you need to shrug (NOT pul) the weight up when it's about waist height. This is the mark of a great snatch.  The combination of leaning further over the bar & a big tall shrug when the bar is at waist height, means your well on your way to snatching 1.5 your bodyweight!!