Installment 2a

May 1999

Shaun,

I'm afraid the technique installment will be of greater length than I anticipated, so I decided to divide it into 2 parts. First, the sn and the cl and second, the jerk.I would urge you to carefully study chapter 1 in Roman as that is where all of this comes from. I'm just highlighting the critical aspects. What I hope you will come away with is an understanding of the correct rhythm of each lift as well as a firm grasp of the biomechanics involved. This is extremely critical because you can understand the training theory and know how to organize your training etc. but if you cannot apply it effectively then what is the point?In each case I will break down the lifts into their component parts and the focus will be on biomechanics and proper rhythm.

The snatch and the clean can be broken down into 5 stages:
1)Start
2)Initial pull phase
3)Amortization phase
4)Acceleration phase
5)Moving under the bar
The movement parameters vary somewhat depending on a lifters height. The figures I will give you pertain to you specifically.

1)The Start:The two key points to focus on are a) keep themetatarso-phalangeal joint (MPJ) in the same vertical plane as the bar and b) keep the shuolders in the same vertical plane as the bar. If you place the MPJ in front of or behind the vertical projection of the bar the trajectory path of the bar becomes signifigantly distorted (seepp.9-10 and figures 6 and 7 on p.14). A starting position where the shoulders are out in front of the bar instead of in line with it does not permit effective use of the leg extensors and as a result the pull off the floor is weakened.

2)Initial pull phase: Key point is to move shoulders out in front of the bar as it leaves the platform so the bar moves slightly towards you(about 4cm in the sn and 3cm in the clean). The reason this is critical is that at the outset there is a displacement between the center of gravity (COG) of the bar and the COG of the lifter. This action minimizes the displacement. This phase takes about .50 seconds to complete and the bar speed is 1.3 m/s in the sn and 1 m/s in the cl foryour height. (Note: do NOT try to internalize these speeds, rather focus on the speed RATIOS between the different phases of the lift. THIS is how you develop a feel for the rhythm of the lift). Bar will rise to just above the knee in the sn and just below the knee in the cl. The difference is due to the change in the grip.

3)Amortization phase: This is the most important phase. If this gets screwed up your lift is no good. As a preliminary, you need to understand the physics of the stretch-shortening reflex. When a muscle contracts eccentrically it lengthens and stores elastic energy. Eccentric contractions are 25-50% more powerful than concentric contractions and are involuntary. However, in order to capture this elastic energy and realize a much more powerful voluntary concentric contraction the switch FROM eccentric TO concentric contraction MUST be immediate! At the end of the initial pull you shift the knee and hip joints forward and down (the so called double knee bend). The bar comes to mid-thigh in the sn and to lower 1/3 of thigh in the cl. This causes the muscles to stretch and store elastic energy. The MPJ and the shoulders move back into the same vertical plane as the bar. The speed of the bar REMAINS THE SAME. (It may scarcely increase in the sn and scarcely decrease in the cl due to the differences in the weightsinvolved). Timewise, this phase takes about .12 sec in the sn and .15 sec in the cl. You MUST make the transition from the end of this phase to the beginning of the acceleration phase as quickly as possible, otherwise the elastic energy stored will totally dissipate. People usually make 1 of 3 grave errors in this phase. 1)They do not even perform the double knee bend. 2)(most common) they speed up the bar instead of keeping the speed constant and 3)They pause at the end losing the stored elastic energy.

4)Acceleration phase: If the initial pull and the amortization phases are done properly this phase almost happens automatically. Simultaneous extension of the torso and the legs in an explosive fashion is the key here. This is only possible if your body is in the correct power position (i.e. MPJ and shoulders back in the same vertical plane as the bar). Speed of the bar is about 1.7 m/s in the sn and 1.25 m/s in the cl. (Note: these are speed increases of about 30 and 25% respectively for the sn and cl relative to the 1st 2 phases). Time for this phase is about .18 sec in the sn and .15 sec in the cl.

5)Moving under the bar:This is quite a neglected area. You can do everything right up to this point and still mess up your lift. Even a perfectly executed pull will not raise the bar to a height needed to fix it securely overhead or on your shoulders. The 2 key factors here are to actively use your arms to pull your body under the bar and vigorously lift and shift your feet side to side. These are the things that give the bar the final momentum it needs to be fixed solidly overhead or on the shoulders. You would be amazed at how many lifters falter in this area. Less experienced lifters will tend to catch the weight high and ride it down. That is ok. As your skill improves and you lift heavier weights you should strive to catch the weight right in place wothout riding it down. Jim