Strength and Power Notes August 2008
Check the home page of this site (www.newton-sports.com) for daily insights into the world of weightlifting during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
It should come as no surprise that most of my efforts in August are devoted to the Olympics! For the fourth Games in a row I’ve been asked by NBC Sports to assist their broadcast team with coverage of the lifting from Beijing. This year NBC veteran Pete Pranica is joined by two-time USA Olympian Shane Hamman in front of the cameras.
Network coverage of the Games’ lifting is always difficult to predict. It’s the usual story of an exciting sport, but not a lot of USA ‘hometown’ interest. Face facts weightlifting fans, weightlifting is a very minor sport in this country. The audience at the Games always enjoys the show, but this seldom translates to a great deal of coverage on the average American’s television set. The proposed schedule calls for airing of all the men’s ‘A’ sessions and women’s 48kg, 53kg, and +75kg categories.
NBC also promises to have full coverage of all sessions online. I don’t know the details of this at press time, but you can check at www.nbcsports.com.
Doug Lane, director of the Cross Fit training center in Amelia Island, FL (check www.crossfitameliaisland.com) hosted a great 4-hour program on the Power Clean, July 19th. Ten participants worked hard on their lifting technique and had their lifts filmed and evaluated with my Dartfish motion analysis software.
Mark your calendars for September 13 so you can take in my 8-hour program at CrossFit Amelia Island. The agenda calls for training on both the Snatch and the C&J. As before, space is limited (20), so be sure to contact Doug immediately to reserve your spot.
- As I do every year, I’ll be holding some off-bike strength and conditioning workshops in the next few months. It looks like I’ll partner with Gina Josey for two programs in Charlotte, NC, probably in November and in January or February. Sam Callan, USA Cycling’s Sports Science and Education Coaching Manager, is looking at the second Charlotte programs as a full-blown USAC CEU program over several days.
- Brian Walton, 1996 Olympic silver medalist in the points race and vice-president of Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers, will host the 2nd Annual Cadence Strength & Power Clinic for Cyclists and Triathletes at Cadence’s New York City facility this fall. Watch for details here and at www.cadencecycling.com.
- Rudy and Christie Nielsen, check www.crossfitalexandria.com, have proposed a workshop on explosive lifting at their facility sometime this fall. I have to hand it to the CrossFit staffs I’ve encountered in the past few months: they really want to expand their knowledge base on Olympic-style lifts. This will be another NSCA and NATA CEU program. More details will be listed here in the near future.
If you’ve ever wanted to get a Pro Back Revolution (check my thoughts on this and watch the YouTube clip) for your workout area, here’s a great chance to do so and save 25%! In a special arrangement with Back Revolution inventor Bill Kaiser, for a limited time you can order the Pro Back Revolution System (comes with the Back Revolution Stick for warm-up and massage) for only $449, shipping included! That’s a $150 savings! This promotion is limited to a small number of available units in inventory, so don’t delay, prices are due to go up again soon.
This series of monthly installments looks at some highlights of current weightlifting technique instruction, especially as it relates to the pull motion in the Snatch and the Clean. Check for the entire series across several months’ newsletters.
In 2006 Ernie Rimer, an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ (now the strength and conditioning coach for the USA Ski Team’s national women’s downhill team) contacted several prominent experts in the area of weightlifting technique. Ernie was collecting details from various weightlifting and S&C corners related to the so-called “second pull” exhibited in the Snatch and the Clean. The Internet always reflects a good deal of chatter about optimal weightlifting technique and Ernie took it upon himself to collect and disseminate germane technique details to his NAU coaching staff.
Here is my answer to Ernie’s third question:
3) In your opinion, should the athletes be taught to finish the 2nd pull with triple extension, high on the balls of his or her feet?
This is your loaded question. It is unfortunate that we only have the limited resources of this exchange in order to address the issue.
An athlete who does not sufficiently extend his/her body at the top of the pull (regardless of the joint identified) probably is reducing the amount of weight they can lift in the Snatch, the Clean, the Jerk, or any related movements.
‘Taught to finish high on the balls of his/her feet?’ No, at least not for any significant amount of time. Some elite lifters will pass through this position quickly, without repercussion, and without emphasis on lifting in this position. Far too many lifters (particularly in this country) in years past have been encouraged to fully extend, then raise the bar with primarily elbow flexion, attempting to ‘arm pull’ the bar to its highest position, then somehow effectively pull under the bar and meet the weight in its receiving position, either overhead or on the chest.
Dependence on such technique will lead to serious problems in maximum lifting performance, at least in the full squat Snatch or squat Clean position. There may be application in the ‘power’ versions of both lifts.
In recent years there has apparently been an interest in the notion of NOT completely extending the ankles, knees, and hips in either lift. In my opinion, the topic of this very small portion of successful snatch or clean performance is humorous. It is beyond the scope of this exchange to delve into further discussion, so suffice it to say I am in favor of fully or nearly fully extending the lower body, but I am NOT in favor of a focused attempt at full plantar flexion or spending an inappropriate amount of time fully extended.
TO BE CONTINUED