One of the easiest ways a coach can get
someone to hit a personal record Olympic lift at a clinic is to tell
them “move faster” or “pull faster,” the core precept of the
philosophy that “speed kills!” And it works. Many lifters will
hit PRs. CrossFitters and casual weightlifters will walk away singing
that coach’s praises when their snatch goes from 60kg to 63kg in a
weekend.
The extra speed works for a while,
anyway. For a little more weight on the bar and a nice ego boost.
However, speed added to flawed technique most often combine for a
faster missed lift when the weight gets truly heavy. When you are
learning to lift, speed is down the list of priorities.
First on that list of priorities are
positions. You must have the mobility and ability to hit the critical
positions of the pull. A good starting position . . .
Shins vertical and bar close at the
knees . . .
The power position, shoulders behind
the bar, heels down . . .
And complete extension without pushing
the hips too far forward . . .
When you can hit these positions you
can start working on smooth transitions between them with lots and
lots of drilling. You must “groove in” the technique, making the
new motor pattern precise and repeatable as a matter of habit,
hitting light lifts without thought. This will take more time than
you’d like. Maybe a lot more. But it will be worth the patience and
commitment to the process.
In time the rhythm of the lift will
come. The bar will accelerate continuously from floor to full
extension and you’ll move under the bar in the right timing,
pulling down while the bar is still going up. With hundreds to
thousands of repetitions, you’ll have forgotten how to do the lift
wrong. (It’s worth noting that hitting the positions properly and
getting the rhythm of the lift down will make you faster without
intending to go faster, especially moving under the bar)
NOW you can add more speed. You’ve
built the proper motor pattern and grooved it in so well that you can
add speed and stay in that pattern. The focus on speed will
not cause you to lose your technique. The extra speed will be useful.
You’ll still be putting the bar in the right place and ultimately
add more than a kilo or two to your bar.
Finally you can
put the emphasis getting strong as an elephant. Your technique may
need a tweak now and then, but taking the time to do things in the
right order—positions, smooth transitions, rhythm and timing, then
speed—will pay off in bigger lifts in the end and a better chance
to reach your potential.
Dan Bell will be instructing the Vulcan Weightlifting Seminar Sep 21-22 in Akron Ohio! For more info on seminars or if you would like to host a seminar at your gym contact us at vulcan@vulcanstrength.com
Vulcan® Strength Training Systems is a manufacturer and supplier of high quality strength and conditioning equipment for CrossFit® , Olympic Weightlifting, and all things related to strength training
Vulcan® Strength Training Systems is a manufacturer and supplier of high quality strength and conditioning equipment for CrossFit® , Olympic Weightlifting, and all things related to strength training
