Topic: Strength a detriment to learning technique?

[Jeff Roark]

I have only recently been receiving some excellent coaching. I only get to train with the coach 1-2 times per month but each time its super information packed and pretty hard to absorb all of it. I was thinking the other evening while trying to train myself if it is more difficult to train someone who has plenty of general weight training before starting the lifts or someone who has no experience. Using myself as an example, I sometimes wish I would have never done a deadlift now that I have started the lifts since some of my pulls degrade into deadlifts and its something that I have to coach myself not to do.

Has anyone here faced these same problems being an older beginner lifter?

[Mike Wittmer]

Yes, and I agree with the above.  This can be a very difficult problem, especially if the lifter has adequate strength to overcome, at least on the surface, some technique flaws.  A perfect example is the converted powerlifter.  Powerlifters tend to pull with their back and use less legs.  They can squat more weight that way, using a lot of hips and lower back with the forward leaning posture they assume in the squat.  Same in the dead lift.

For weightlifters, that style will eventually limit their progress.  Plus, it sets up other flaws such as swinging the bar and limiting the top pull.  The problem is that usually the lifts will go down while the lifter re-tools their technique and many can't handle that, even though it's better in the long run.

I think it's better to take young kids and teach the proper positions from the very start.

[Jeff Roark]

Mike,
You hit two of my main problems. I limit the top of my pull and in videoing myself I noticed that I swing the bar some also. I really have to work on limiting myself on my working weights because if I don't I revert to using strength to cover my technique flaws which are many!

[Mike Wittmer]

Jeff, try this:

Dead lift a very light weight.  From there, pull it up your chest, straight up and then drop under it.  You won't be able to use much weight, but it reinforces the finish pull, forcing you to pull all the way through the lift.

Another exercise, do snatch pulls with a light weight, but touch the underside of your chin.  This forces you to pull straight.  If you swing the weight, you can't do it, because to get it under your chin, it must come up straight.  

I once saw a lifter who could snatch 130 but could not get 70 to his chin, he swings it, touching it just above the nipples.