Please Critique My Lifts (Updated Weekly)

[.Goku.]

I've decided that I want to dedicate a part of my training to learning the Olympic lifts in addition to the slow movements. I will post videos of parts of my training sessions in hopes that some of the forum regulars (e.g. madaozeki, raffiki, JLC, etc.) can pop in and give me some suggestions. I'll keep them all in this thread so they do not clutter up the section. Hopefully, it will help others too as they can see what I am doing incorrectly and apply it to their own training. Here is a video from yesterday's training session. It consists of two clean pulls followed by a power clean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PgmJ...e=channel_page

[raffiki]

you should set the weight on some blocks or something. Your start position is very important, and you can't learn it until the bar is at the proper height. Also that weight looked pretty easy, so maybe 135 isn't too much to work with.

[.Goku.]

you should set the weight on some blocks or something. Your start position is very important, and you can't learn it until the bar is at the proper height. Also that weight looked pretty easy, so maybe 135 isn't too much to work with.

The weight I used was 95 lbs so I dunno if I can do 135; I'll try next session though. The bar is set up on two wooden boxes that bring it to the appropriate height. Its hard to see them though. What did you think about the clean though? Early arm-bend?

Thanks Raffiki.

[raffiki]

You must have some long shins!

You need to squat down more, and tighten your back up. Here is one of the world's greats:

http://weightliftingexchange.com/ind...sa=view;id=103

From there you hold your torso steady and push your hips back to get your knees out of the way of the bar. Work on that and get a video when you feel like you've got it.

I don't see a problem with arm bend.

[kingcarlos]

yeap will do well if you squat down abit more, other wise your momentum wont be as much as it should be. besides cant see much from the angle of your vid, perhaps should change to a lateral view?

[madaozeki]

You're doing some really good things in this vid! Is your long-term goal to learn the full clean? Or will you be sticking to power cleans? If just power cleans, you're on the right path. If full cleans, we can talk more!

The good
1. Slow, controlled pull off the floor with straight arms
2. Good acceleration through the middle, with nice explosion

Could be improved
1. Your elbow whip is OK, but it's a bit delayed. See how the bar is essentially racked already before your elbows whip around. Literally as soon as you've exploded, you should immediately be in the receiving position, including whipped elbows.

Good work! Looking forward to more videos.

[.Goku.]

You must have some long shins!

You need to squat down more, and tighten your back up. Here is one of the world's greats:

http://weightliftingexchange.com/ind...sa=view;id=103

From there you hold your torso steady and push your hips back to get your knees out of the way of the bar. Work on that and get a video when you feel like you've got it.

I don't see a problem with arm bend.

yeap will do well if you squat down abit more, other wise your momentum wont be as much as it should be. besides cant see much from the angle of your vid, perhaps should change to a lateral view?

Thanks, I'll address this on Thursday.

You're doing some really good things in this vid! Is your long-term goal to learn the full clean? Or will you be sticking to power cleans? If just power cleans, you're on the right path. If full cleans, we can talk more!

The good
1. Slow, controlled pull off the floor with straight arms
2. Good acceleration through the middle, with nice explosion

Could be improved
1. Your elbow whip is OK, but it's a bit delayed. See how the bar is essentially racked already before your elbows whip around. Literally as soon as you've exploded, you should immediately be in the receiving position, including whipped elbows.

Good work! Looking forward to more videos.

I eventually want to learn both the clean and jerk and the snatch. I know it will take me a little longer because I don't have a coach.

I noticed that my elbow whip was a little slow and I'll work on it on Thursday.


Thanks for taking the time to critique raffiki, kingcarlos, and madaozeki.

[.Goku.]

Alright heres five videos from today's session. I think the first three are 95 lbs, next is 105 lbs, and the last single is 115 lbs. Watch the last single (either the first or second video) if you just watch want to watch one video. I apologize for the short shorts in advance:














From what I can tell, my elbow whip is still slow. Does the speed just come with practice?

[JiP]

doesn't look like you're reverse curling them, good job goku man. nice set up also. now you have a home gym you can get a stereo and take out the headphones

[IGF-WON]

it looks like you pause between the first and second pulls with the bar on your thigh. just a split second but i think i see one.

also, when you explode into your second pull try to use more of a shrug/thrust with your hips (flexion? extension? i dont know which...)

It looks to me like this isnt enough weight to force you to use better technique. not that you should attempt too much, but if you can get the pulls and especially some more explosion in there youll be able to add a lot more to the bar

[crackyflipside]

Don't slow down when you pull, especially going into the second pull. It looks like you hesitate a little bit before doing the second pull.

[xaaronthomasx]

Don't slow down when you pull, especially going into the second pull. It looks like you hesitate a little bit before doing the second pull.

I agree, Your stopping the momentum your creating with that pause before you hip thrust it up in your videos.

FOcus on using your traps to explosively shrug it up in the air more and right after you do that drop your level to under neath the bar in a more squatted position.

I think you need to use a little more weight to force your self to use better form thus gettin stronger and being a better oly lifter

keep studying form and making those videos man! Ill make a video with me using proper form so you can kinda model off of it

[the_last_taco]

It kind of looks like you're reverse curling the bar

[.Goku.]

I used 135 for many singles on power cleans. I tried to pull faster and I think I did. My elbow whip still looks a little slow, and I hope it will improve with practice.

I also attempted many power snatches. I have never even performed a snatch before so this was a completely new experience for me. Please critique both. Thanks in advance.

Power Cleans





Power Snatches

[kingcarlos]

better form i ll say. though i think when u are preparing for the lift off, keep your glute abit lower, for its too high and look as if you gonna lean forward. also , try to keep your head up and look forward, not just before you lift, so that you can keep up more neutral and steady position.

and i found out the same prob between you and me, we tend to catch the bar abit too high after cleaning it.

[J.L.C.]

If you want to eventually be doing the full lifts, my advice is to avoid the power versions until you've got consistent technique with the squat versions.

Going the other way can be a very frustrating experience!

Are you doing any work with an empty bar or even a broomstick to work the full lifts?

[.Goku.]

better form i ll say. though i think when u are preparing for the lift off, keep your glute abit lower, for its too high and look as if you gonna lean forward. also , try to keep your head up and look forward, not just before you lift, so that you can keep up more neutral and steady position.

and i found out the same prob between you and me, we tend to catch the bar abit too high after cleaning it.

Yep. I think I concentrate so hard on the shrug because I don't want an early arm bend I end up catching it high.

If you want to eventually be doing the full lifts, my advice is to avoid the power versions until you've got consistent technique with the squat versions.

Going the other way can be a very frustrating experience!

Are you doing any work with an empty bar or even a broomstick to work the full lifts?

I assumed that if I learned the power versions first that it would be an easier transition, but it sounds like its a hard one. I'll start working on the full clean and full snatch later on this week and put up some more vids.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[crackyflipside]

You see how you pulled in the powerclean, that's how it should be in the full clean.

Don't start with learning powersnatches. I would stay start with snatch balance (also called drop snatch) and snatch pulls where you build up so much bar speed in the pull the bar goes up to your chin, go heavier on the pulls.

[madaozeki]

Hey, those powercleans are looking great! You're cutting your pull a TINY bit short, meaning you're starting to move to your receiving position before fully standing up, but since the weight is light it doesn't matter. If you keep that same form, then the bar will start to tug you forward when the weights get heavy. It's nothing that can't be fixed fairly easily.

Again though, if your long-term goal is to full clean, drop the powercleans right away. Take a look at my clean tutorial and watch especially the bar work I do as a warmup. That'll really get you used to the idea of moving QUICKLY under the bar after you're finished your pull.

Was that really your first time snatching? Those looked AWESOME. Definitely forget about power snatching, too, if you're planning on doing full snatches eventually. Again, take a look at the bar work I do for snatches as a warmup. You can start with snatch balances to get used to the receiving position, along with some overhead squats. As soon as you're comfortable down there, move to full snatches and full snatches from the hang.

Great progress!

[.Goku.]

You see how you pulled in the powerclean, that's how it should be in the full clean.

Don't start with learning powersnatches. I would stay start with snatch balance (also called drop snatch) and snatch pulls where you build up so much bar speed in the pull the bar goes up to your chin, go heavier on the pulls.

Hey, those powercleans are looking great! You're cutting your pull a TINY bit short, meaning you're starting to move to your receiving position before fully standing up, but since the weight is light it doesn't matter. If you keep that same form, then the bar will start to tug you forward when the weights get heavy. It's nothing that can't be fixed fairly easily.

Again though, if your long-term goal is to full clean, drop the powercleans right away. Take a look at my clean tutorial and watch especially the bar work I do as a warmup. That'll really get you used to the idea of moving QUICKLY under the bar after you're finished your pull.

Was that really your first time snatching? Those looked AWESOME. Definitely forget about power snatching, too, if you're planning on doing full snatches eventually. Again, take a look at the bar work I do for snatches as a warmup. You can start with snatch balances to get used to the receiving position, along with some overhead squats. As soon as you're comfortable down there, move to full snatches and full snatches from the hang.

Great progress!

Thanks for the advice. I've already told mezzie this, but I have started an olympic lifting journal and will just keep the videos in there. So if you guys would subscribe and still help it would be great. Here is a link:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=113147971