Welcome to the California Strength Forum
So I've been missing this a lot lately. I've been working on my positioning from the floor and aside from the mild rounding of my back at the bottom I think I look okay. However, my third pull seems to be the problem along with getting the weight behind my head. This could be a shoulder range thing, but I locked out 145 like it was cake. My immediate thoughts on this are that I am slow from position 2 (below the knees), to position 1 (crease of the hip) then maybe my transition in the third pull is off? I have issues getting ass to grass under load but figure flexibility will come with time. What do you guys think the problems are and how would you correct them? If this is a shoulder range issue what can I do to improve it? I do tons of external rotation prep with jump-stretch bands and lots of pass throughs with a pvc pipe as well. Any opinions are appreciated and the more detailed the better. I'm unsure how to actually post the file, so here is the youtube link
I'm no expert but I would say the culprit is your second pull. You're not finishing your extension, you're kind of humping the bar a little and it shoots forward. You try to compensate by jumping forward, but it's not even enough. Even if you did jump forward enough you do realise that such a flaw leaves you lifting weights lower than what you could lift, right? Straight line up is more efficient and a full extension gives more speed.
I know that in my case I will regularly from time to time miss a piss easy weight because it falls in front of me. And, at least in my case, it's always because of crappy extension. Apparently an unfinished extension shoots the bar forward, and an overextension backwards.
I don't know how to go about solving the problem but the way I see it you really have something wrong in your second pull. I remember a junior gold medalist from bulgaria telling me that stuff, he was telling me to practice with something light, like a bar. You put your feet somewhere recognisable like a line on the platform and you snatch it. After every snatch you make sure your feet are somewhere similar, if not, you correct. A small amount of movement is absolutely fine, because if you think about it, if you send the bar completely upward you have to jump forward a bit to catch it over your scapula. Or let me put it another way: Even Rybakov jumps a little forward. But your definitly doing it too much, the bar goes wayyy forward. And just to make it clear: when I say your feet shouldn't move too much I mean in the forward/backward direction, it's fine to put your feet outwards everyone does that.
I hope this helps, and maybe someone with more experience can give you more advice.
Also, you are right about the back rounding, you'll definitly want to fix that as it leaves weight off the bar, and probably doesn't do your technique any good. It seems like in these type of movements a few correct things fix a thousand issues. Like when I was teaching this guy how to deadlift, as soon as he started keeping the bar close to him the movement started getting decent.
Best of luck
Hi Jeremy, I'm not an expert either, but I can tell you what I've found from trial and error works for me.
I would say you need to get rid of the back rounding ASAP, it was the first thing I noticed. Not sure if it's a set up thing back thing or an ankle thing etc. I am not sure if you already do this, but try to do overhead squats. The bottom position is really important to get. I also say this because it could help with your back rounding. You won't be able to OHSQ something if your back is rounded like that. It will also help with the bar position behind the head. I would say start light and worry more about hitting those positions with good form. I am also a huge fan of rows for back strength. When you started the set up your back was in good position, it was just on the floor where you lose it.
I am not sure if you feel tight with your set up, but I find if I don't get a good set up and feel don't feel the tightness in my back and legs before I start, I am dead before I even get out of the gate. I usually grip the bar sort of in an RDL position and pull the slack out a bit, take a deep breath, then set my legs in. If in your set up you were trying to feel the position down to the floor I'd say pick the bar up get tight at the top and go down with it pausing then back up. With working weight pauses I just go knees floor knees, but this is just what works for me. Not sure if your back position will improve with this, but might be worth a shot?
In terms of missing the paused positions, I would say drop the weight and really feel the positions in good posture. It's sort of hard to tell from the angle of the video etc but it almost looked like you were just muscling it up? I am not sure if this is due to your back position being rounded? I am not sure what you consider the 3rd pull, do you mean the drop under? I would say focus more on keeping the bar close and finsihing the 2nd pull. There is no way to go under the bar if it's out in front that far. For me I would say my second pull is the make it or break it point with my weaknesses, I always think hips thru the bar to maximize power. If you don't finish that pull right you aren't going to make the lift like Nicholas said. I would say to really work on hips thru but make sure you aren't already on the front of your foot.
Do you have someone there who knows you well enough to coach you? It's not easy saying xyz is the weakness from a video, but if you have a coach that can see all of your exercises, posture, form etc, it is easier for them to give you the best advice. I'm sure Pete or someone who knows more can give you some better advice too.
looks like your hips are banging the bar too forward. squeeze your lats hard to keep the bar from bouncing away from you. row the bar into your hips with your lats at the same time you extend your legs and hips. too much hips and not enough leg extension will bang the bar forward. keep the weight on the heels throughout the second pull. My coach tells me to "let the weight take you back. " for that split second that your feet leave the ground from pulling to receiving you should feel the weight take you back. This cue helps me get my hips through but it did take me a few practices to actually understand this cue and how it works. You shouldn't try to purposely jump backward but it should happen as a result of getting the hips through and really finishing that second pull. Also some lifters jump back a lot while others can keep the bar path more vertical, it depends on the individual. Good luck!!
This cue allows me get my waist through but it did take me a few methods to actually comprehend this cue and how it performs.
------------
http://www.faucetsuperdeal.com/
Forum Legend: