Part 2: Teaching the Movement
Olympic Weightlifting includes the "Snatch" and the
"Clean and Jerk." These are explosive lifts involving maximal loads,
which are moved at high velocities. It is common for athletes to lift loads
that are well beyond their body weight, which creates a need for well-developed
training routines to avoid injury while maximizing production. There are, of
course, several methods that can be followed to develop effective and efficient
Olympic Movements (Snatch/Clean and Jerk) and no one method is necessarily the
"right" approach. When teaching these lifts to athletes who are
utilizing the movements to increase the ability to create high levels of force
rapidly. The most effective methods, however, focus on four priorities: Time, The
"Big Three” (Part 1), Technique and Tuning.
Time:
Great weightlifting coaching is patient. New athletes need
to spend time with an "empty" (no added weight) bar for weeks or
months. The movement of the bar in Olympic lifts needs to be practiced and perfected
before any significant weight is added. Both the lifter and the coach need to
be confident the bar will travel along a strategic path every time. Otherwise,
the athlete will hesitate, over exert or push vital joints out of alignment.
There are four phases (Movements) to every Olympic lift:
1. Pulling
Position to Eccentric RDL.
2. Eccentric
RDL to Pulling Position.
3. Pull
(Clean/ Snatch)
4. Catch
(Transition from Pull to Receiving bar)
Each phase must be mastered through patient rehearsal before
it can be integrated with the others in a fluid lifting motion. The most
effective way to master each phase is through time with the bar. Just as a
computer takes time to load new software, it takes time to load the patterns of
motion into the lifter's muscular hardware. Over time, these patterns of motion
will be imprinted in the mind and muscles of the athlete with each and every
practice run.
The bar is a lifter's best friend. It is the connection
point between the weight and the athlete's body. The athlete will
"feel" the balance and shifts of the weight through the round metal
so every successful lifter develops an intimate relationship with the bar. This
can only be discovered through time and repetition.
The Big Three:
The process of developing an Olympic weightlifter begins
with teaching “The Big Three.”
1. Stance:
2. Grip:
3. Posture:
When, and only when, the athlete understands and can
demonstrate proficiency with the big three should he/she proceed to learning
the lifting technique.
The goal throughout the lifting motion is to keep the bar as
close to the body as possible. The bar becomes an extension of the athlete as
he/she learns to load the appropriate muscles in preparation for each phase of
the lift. Proper technique will equip the lifter to make progress with less
effort and fewer injuries. Poor technique will fatigue the athlete while
increasing the possibility of doing damage. There are four phases to every
Olympic lift and every phase has a prescribed technique that enables the lifter
to overcome gravity and produce power.
Phase 1: Pulling Position to Eccentric RDL.
The pulling position or Big Three is the beginning stance of
every lift. Spreading the chest, gripping the bar, and inhaling to create
stiffness the athlete has prepared the body for the lift. The movement is
initiated by driving the hips back into hip flexion eccentrically loading the
hamstring keeping the bar tight to the legs and chest over the bar reaching the
top of the patella. If an athlete has not developed either the skill or the
discipline to load into the correct starting position, there can be
complications with the lift and the lifter should be discouraged from
progressing further into the lift until this phase is mastered. Failure to load
the posterior chain can cause anterior shifting of the barbell and the athlete,
which can lead to failure in the lifts or injury to the athlete.
Phase 2: Eccentric RDL to Pulling Position.
Once the athlete can properly hold the RDL position it is
vital to reverse the pattern back to the hips. Once the athlete must slide the
bar back towards the hips using the hamstring and glutes to extend the hips. If
the athlete does not possess the necessary strength to hold the chest over the
bar and maintain a tight torso during this movement complications may occur
during the lift. The hamstring and glutes must be the prime movers in this
portion of the lift. When this movement is done correctly the athlete should
hold their chest over the bar as it slides back towards the hips. The shoulders
and hips are moving as one unit during this lift allowing for momentum to build
for the explosive portion of the lift. This is where most of the complications
develop. It is common for athletes to shift their knees anteriorly when the bar
is being transferred back towards the hips, which transfers the load into the
quads instead of the hamstrings. The weight shifts away from the glutes and
hamstrings causing the bar to loop away from the body during the lift
increasing the risk of injury for the athlete.
Phase 3: Pull (Clean)
When
the athlete is able to hold the full RDL position, it is time to teach the fun
part of the movement. The athlete shifts back into the “Pulling Position” with
the glutes, hamstrings and shoulders loaded and ready to move the bar violently
and vertically. The bar is then put into motion with an explosive Triple Extension
of the hips, knees, and plantar flexion of the ankle. Once the athlete has
mastered the movement of the Pull it is vital to review how the bar travels
from the RDL into the Pull. If there is a pause between the movements there
will be a decrease in bar momentum and decrease in force productions. Keeping
the bar close to the body while extending the hips to the pulling position then
violently “Pulling” the bar vertically will increase the athletes ability to
move higher loads safely. This transition from the RDL to the Pull is termed
the “Second Pull.”
Phase 4: Catch (Transition from Pull to Receiving bar)
The catch is the hardest portion of
the movement for an athlete to learn. It will take time and many repetitions
for the athlete to transfer the bar to the chest (Clean and Jerk) or overhead
(Snatch). The catch is formulated by a series of motions that must occur
simultaneously. As the bar is accelerating
vertically the athlete "pulls" his/her body under the bar. During this
transition the feet of the athlete will shuffle from the pulling position to a
receiving position.
The receiving position is stable
and allows the body to receive the force of the barbell. The elbows will be
parallel to the ground with the hands slightly outside of the shoulders. The
shoulders will be placed into external rotation and shrugging against the bar
to create separation. The bar should be resting on a pillow of muscle created
by the anterior deltoid creating separation fro the clavicles. The torso should
be rigid with the core braced for receiving the load. Hips and knees are flexed
with the feet flat. The load of the barbell should transfer from the chest to
the heels if the body is in the correct receiving position.
A common misconception is that this
motion requires jumping to get into position. When the athlete reaches full
extension the bar will become weightless. From there the athlete actively pull
themselves under the bar shuffling the feet in the process to the correct
position of stability. When transitioning into the catch position it is vital
that the elbows rotate into the correct position with extreme speed. Slow elbow
motion around the bar puts undue stress on the wrists making them vulnerable to
injury. The torso must remain rigid throughout the entire movement and as close
to vertical as possible to absorb the forces that are generated by the
accelerated bar. These forces are transferred from the bar through the body and
to the ground. If the torso becomes lax or twists, there is a greater chance
for injury and a loss of momentum with the bar, which will make it harder to
transition to the clean.
Tuning:
Once the athlete has mastered each portion of the movement,
weight can be added and gradually increased. As progress is made, bad habits
will be discovered and weaknesses in the technique will become evident.
Persistent adjustments will guide the athlete on a path of consistent progress.
Making video tapes of lifts and asking others to review your technique will
create an atmosphere of continual progress. The ultimate goal is to be able to
perform the same movement whether there is 10k or 110k on the bar. Since every
lifter is an imperfect person, there will always be room for improvement but
every athlete can "tune" their technique to add strength and increase
their personal records year after year.
Part 3 Coming Soon.
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