Triangulated Power!

Today I want to go over something that will help ensure you are performing your clean's and snatch's to a better degree. If you're not into Olympic lifting, guess what!?! You can you this too as an athlete in order to better perform a major lift in the gym to accomplish true power and strength! Read through all this and apply it to your Power Cleans! 

 Look around you. Triangles are everywhere!  Any structure requiring a strong and rigid construction depends on triangles to achieve that goal.  Even though they might not be obvious or even seen for that matter, triangles are at work wherever strength and rigidity are important. This holds true even in weightlifting. Ask any coach what the "power triangle" is and he will gladly show you a person who has a developed set of shoulder blades, abdominal, and the glutes. However, today we are not talking about how to create a power triangle. We are here to discuss how to properly close the weightlifting triangle that has created the power and stability for your lift. 

Once you get past your knees in the initial pull, you should certainly have a triangle between your knees, shoulders and the hips. Can't imagine what I am talking about? Go ahead and grab a stick, bar, or just act as if you are holding the a bar. Go slowly thru the 1st pull and stop when the "bar" is just past your knees. Pause there and think. You have created a triangle. This position is important to form: The hips are away from the bar, the arms are directed back towards the thighs, and the chest over the bar forming 3 sides of a “power triangle.” In this position you are strong, stable and prepared to transfer the weight thru the 2nd pull.

This is where people make a big mistake. They either close the triangle to slow, to fast, or do not actually keep the bar in contact leaving a gap in the triangle. You may hear it at the gym as: completed a short pull, leaving the hips out, or not finishing with extension. Regardless how you are completing the pull, you are not closing the triangle in one way or another.  

The triangle stores a ton of potential power, the hips/glutes/lats are primed and ready to explode with force. You basically have to try in order to not create the triangle when the bar is above the knees. However, people often form the triangle correctly... but do not properly shut it.

Focus on driving your hips to the bar as soon as the bar passes your knees. Keep the bar close by utilizing your lats. Pull your knees under the bar with a dipping type movement, and then forcefully thrust your hips forward into the bar while simultaneously pulling the bar into your hips with the lats. DO NOT BEND YOUR ARMS!  Shut the triangle with control and conviction to get the most power into your clean or snatch. I however want to caveat this with one thing that will inevitably happen as you practice. Body position is always critical throughout any Olympic lifts. So... ensure proper body positioning at all times!. As you transition thru the 2nd pull your back/hips should move in conjunction with your knees. Neither should extend earlier than the other. If you extend your knees to early, you have no more room to explode upward. Same goes for your hips... if you open to early you will be leaning to far back and taken out of the proper power position as well as your bar path will be impacted. Either way, you are unable to create triple extension as intended or desired.

Practice closing the triangle at a slow pace with light weight. Gradually increase your speed as you get more familiar and are able to demonstrate proper positioning throughout the lift. Once you are moving in a fluid motion and able to maintain positioning, then move up in weight.

 As always, if you found this helpful, please leave a comment or email me. I am always looking to write what interests the readers, so have an idea of an interesting or debated topic , want to know something specific, liked a previous post and want it expanded upon? email or comment below. All feedback is greatly appreciated! 

Until next week... Lift it over head, slam it to the ground and repeat! Practice makes progression and progression to Gold!

Nitty Gritty

This week I wanted to focus on something that is going to lead you to success. I focus a lot of weightlifting itself, but I wanted to get a post in about mentality and how it can help make you more successful! So this weeks topic is mental mindset and its all about GRIT! Do you have it? Do you know what it truly is? Well read on and find out what it is and how you can benefit from it!  

Imagine yourself out for a jog when you are presented with a steep hill. You could turn and forgo the hill. Or you could dig deep inside yourself and find your strength and energy to tackle that monster. If you chose to charge over the hill, most likely you’ve got grit—the tenacity and stamina to put in hard work in pursuit of a goal, despite obstacles or setbacks. While talent and skills are important for getting ahead, grit is actually the biggest predictor of how successful you’ll ultimately be, according to Angela Duckworth,author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

So… How do we develop or nurture our grit? Whatever your Grit level is currently, you can build more anytime. The following will aid in your desire to grow your grit. Or follow these 5 steps from theweek.com.

First, find something you are truly passionate about.

Do you love to run or bike? Maybe consider training for a triathlon.  For me its weightlifting... hence the blog. If your passionate about what you’re doing, your grit will intensify, and you’ll be much more likely to succeed. You can also choose a goal that gives you a sense of purpose—becoming an instructor or launching a kids benefit, for instance. This can be especially motivating, because you see the effect your work has on other people. Maybe you just lack motivation. Try reading 5 reasons your motivation may be missing.

Next, focus on what you really want.

To reach a goal, it needs to be “SMART” Specific, Measurable, Attainable (Realistic), Relevant,Time Bound as well as challenging enough that you have to work toward it. For example, if your goal is to “become better at weight lifting," aim for something precise like ‘I want to lift my body weight in the Clean and Jerk.” 

Ensure you surround yourself with gritty people.

“We spontaneously model the behaviors of those around us,” Duckworth says. “When you join a team, you gravitate to its culture.” If you want to become a weightlifter but have a hard time getting in the gym and pushing yourself, find a group that meets every day to crush weights with. The members’ motivation and work ethic will rub off on you.

ALWAYS... Allow AND expect yourself to fail.

Failure sends most people’s confidence and morale plummeting. However, the thing about truly gritty people: they aren’t discouraged when they come up short. Its the opposite, they’re not only undaunted by adversity, but they are also fueled by it. OK, so how can you learn to embrace failure? Keep telling yourself that ability is not a fixed quantity. Anders Ericsson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Florida State University and a coauthor of Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise says, “with practice and dedication, you can evolve and eventually become excellent at doing something you once found difficult.” 

Try to view setbacks as opportunities.

“Gritty people appreciate the work they put in on the way to reaching a goal, not just attaining the milestone itself,” says sport psychologist Gloria Petruzzelli, Ph.D. “For them, setbacks become chances to learn something and are simply part of the process of mastering a skill.” To help cultivate grit when things go wrong, ask yourself, “What am I learning about myself in this moment?” and “How can I use this situation to shape myself for the better?”

Lastly... become determined to never give up.

If you’re inclined to blow off soccer practice after a hectic day at work, remind yourself that you’re the kind of person who honors commitment! Or if you’re tempted to end your long-term goal of lifting your body weight in the clean and jerk, tell yourself, “I will not quit, I cannot quit, period,” Petruzzelli advises. “Thinking of yourself as a gritty powerhouse will help you believe—and achieve.”

Need more advice in order to never give up? Review these 7 tips.

So what will you do to determine your grit? How will you ensure you will not quit? How will this advise aid you in pursuing your goal? Leave me a comment letting me know how this information has helped aid you in your pursuit of greatness!

 

Until next week... Lift it over head, slam it to the ground and repeat! Practice makes progression and progression to Gold!

Do you even hook grip?!?

Now its been a few weeks since I introduced the blog, gave insight into the lifts, and laid out how to go about finding programs to adhere to. Over the next few weeks, I am going to cover more detail on the lifts and how to actually execute specific aspects of each. Today I am going to expand on a very important aspect incorporated in both lifts and that is the hook grip! Almost any athlete that goes to the gym can utilize the info I am going to cover in this article! So let's read on!

The hook grip is when an athlete secures the barbell with a hook like configuration using the thumb and fingers. To utilize the hook grip, you need to grip the barbell and place either one, two or three fingers around your thumb. Most people will prefer two fingers placed over the thumb, with the thumb protruding slightly between the middle finger and ring finger. This grip is great for many lifts (cleans, dead-lift, snatch, rows, etc) as the weight placed on the bar is what secures the grip into place... not the muscles of the wrist and forearms. When you first begin, I promise IT IS GOING TO HURT! The pressure is all on your thumbs... the more weight you are pulling/lifting, the more the pressure and pain rises. So you will want to start lighter than usual and progress from week to week, gradually increasing to maximal weight as you are able to bear the pain. Get into the practice of using it now, and it will just be an extra advantage you will learn here.

 

So why do we really need this? You are already dead-lifting 500lbs right?! Well you are most likely using a mixed grip (one hand over the bar with palm facing toward you, one hand under the bar with palm facing away). That is not a feasible grip when Olympic lifting. The hook grip is important because it helps keep the bar from sliding into the fingertips during the second pull (explosion phase). The thumb helps keep the bar locked in place, thus keeping the bar close to your body during the acceleration that is generated during this phase. It is also important because as you transition from the first pull at shin height to your shoulders or overhead after the third pull/turn over, you arms are not tangled or twisting due to unequal force that could throw off the entire lift. You need a double overhand grip to complete the turn over and get under the bar! So the hook grip solves two problems in one easy set up!

Now when to use and when to go full grip.

The hook grip is typically utilized for lifts below the shoulders. During the clean, the hook grip is most commonly transitioned to a full hand (sometimes just the fingers if flexibility is an issue) when receiving the bar in the front rack. I would never suggest implementing the jerk with a hook grip because, 1. It restricts the movement of the barbell while traveling overhead  2. You are losing power throughout your arms when forcing the bar overhead due to the placement of the hand/fingers. During the snatch, you have the ability keep the hook grip throughout the lift, or you can release the hook grip when completing the turnover just as you are lifting the bar over head. The athlete has to choose which feels more comfortable for themselves. However, don't believe the hype that either way is right or wrong.

Many people attempt to hook grip the barbell but stop shortly after due to feeling as if the hook grip is slipping out. There is a solution to this problem. Tape your thumb like so:

The tape will ensure additional grip for your fingers to hold onto. This is especially helpful if you have smaller hands. Make sure to use tape that is flexible and be sure to only use a minimal amount. You can use athletic tape as I do, or you can go with a more advance and specific tape such as GOAT tape. Also, do not wrap the tape extremely tight as this will cut off circulation and could cause permanent issues to nerves as well as causes excess pain. (not cool bro!)

To get a better idea on how to Hook grip. check out this great Youtube tutorial using a small hand demo. This will help get the idea of the hook grip as well as service anyone who is struggling with the hook grip due to hand size. And if you are someone who struggles with the feeling of slipping barbell or just want to use tape, Check out the video on taping your thumbs for lifts. The only caveat to all the tape is check with the association you potentially could compete with to see rules/regulations on taping. Some federations want to see the thumb tip or knuckle.

Comment below if this helps you in any way! Do you use this for powerlifting, bodybuilding or crossfit? Having an issue I didn't discuss with the Hook grip? Leave me a message and I will reply with any advice I can!

Until next week...
Lift it overhead, slam it to the ground and repeat! Practice leads to progression... progression to Gold!

What's all the hype with completing a warm up?

If you are new to Olympic weightlifting (or just working out/training/lifting) then you probably have not clue if you should or shouldn't complete a warm up or which kind if you so choose to complete a warm up. If you rummage through the internet you will find in general three mind sets when it comes to warm ups.

First belief - Mark Rippetoe: Strength and condition specialist and author of Starting Strength states. "No jumping around in the floor, no 100 air squats, no goofy walking, no stretching other than assuming the bottom position a couple of times. Just get warm under the bar, add weight, and squat." He continues, "There is no evidence, in either The Literature or in the objectively evaluated experience of coaches or lifters, that 30 minutes of stretching before a barbell workout is anything other than a detrimental waste of time." In his mind, you would be warm once you put on your pants and get to the gym. No need for stretching or a traditional warm up as it takes away from power output.

Second belief - Mayo Clinic/Most professionals: A warm-up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles. Warming up may also help reduce muscle soreness and lessen your risk of injury. This brief, but specified warm up is built in to the workout to prepare for lifting, bending and repeat use of the muscles and mechanics of the body to prevent injury and increase performance.

Last belief - Crossfit/Olympic Weightlifting: The belief behind these warm ups is to get your body moving/temperature raised, heart rate up, stretch to create "mobility" or flexibility and prepare for a rigorous workout. Typically you will see these athletes utilizing a lacrosse ball or foam rollers to self massage/release myofascial tissue (muscle connective tissue). According to Performbetter.com, athletes "use the roller to apply pressure to sensitive areas in their muscles-sometimes called trigger points, knots, or areas of increased muscle density." Also, the site states, "One would usually use a foam roller to apply longer more sweeping strokes to the long muscle groups like the calves, adductors, and quadriceps, and small directed force to areas like the TFL, hip rotators, and glute medius." The idea according to aaptive magazine is that by foam rolling, you can increase blood flow to the tissues and improve mobility, which aids in recovery and performance. It helps to reduce tightness in muscles so that they can move through a range of motion with ease.

So which should you believe and practice?

You probably think because I am blogging about Olympic lifting and I was so extensive on that one, it is my belief. Well, truthfully I like to incorporate all three to some degree. In my opinion, each have their perspective pros and cons... thus incorporating all of them. But I am not here to discuss all that. What I am going to go over is what I personally do as a certified personal trainer and person with a degree in Health and Human Performance. 

As a general, rule a warm up is just that... getting the body temp up and blood flowing. So the very first thing I do (and some will contest/disagree with part or all of this) is complete 2-3 minutes of exercise for one of the following:
          Brisk walk/slow jog
          Light rowing
          Jumping jacks
          Jump rope
          Elliptical
Once I complete the 2-3 minute exercise I will begin with a dynamic warm up (actively moving through the positions/stretches) of leg swings, arm swings, arm circles, trunk rotations, knee/ankle rotations and hip extension/flexion/rotation.

Next, I go into a very brief static stretch (5 second hold) for each muscle group beginning at the ankles and moving upward all the way to my neck. If I feel extra tightness in my ankles, wrists, triceps, hips or shoulders I will hold up to 15 seconds, but no longer. I am not going to be able to extend my mobility or create a greater range of flexion with these holds. That will take weeks or months to improve. However, I do want to work on getting into position, create a mind muscle connection and decrease the pain reception prior to working out.

After completing these dynamic stretches followed by static stretches, I will then move on to the PVC previously recommended in the blog titled "Equipment recommended?!?" or a barbell. At this point I complete 5 reps of each: hang snatch high pulls, Snatch Grip behind neck OH press, Good morning squats, "shitty squats", Snatch Grip OH Squat, clean grip shrugs, clean shrug to front rack, front squat, split jerk, power jerk and then finally close grip (as close as you can perform comfortably) OH squat.

After completing all of this (I know... time consuming, but very integral) I begin actual lifts with clean pulls, snatch pulls, drop snatch, hang snatch, hang cleans or full cleans (depends on prescribed exercises) with the barbell moving up in weight every three good lifts until I reach working weight (weight prescribed in plans for that day). And -NOW- you are ready for the true workout!

To get a good idea of what a traditional warm up looks like, take a look at this warm up for Olympic Weightlifting video. Or if I get enough comments or inquiry, I will put a video together and post it for you to see first hand my exact warm up.

I hope this helps get you physically and mentally ready to lift as well as prevent injuries. If you have questions such as what exercises to incorporate into the dynamic stretches, what static stretches to implement, weight to use etc., please leave a comment and I will address it ASAP!

Until next week... lift it overhead, slam it to the ground and repeat! Practice leads to progression... progression to Gold!

Get to work!

Since I have covered the overview of the main lifts, and what equipment is necessary to train... I think it's only necessary we begin to look at the training programs as well as how to decipher what the F@#k its saying.

I would highly recommend starting off with a FREE pre-made program if you are new. If you are really uncertain as to whether or not you will stick to Olympic lifting, maybe try this 8 week program by Elitefitcross. I will warn you however, since it is only 8 weeks long, it is a bit more demanding. If you have previous lifting experience and your are confident in your strength, this may be for you! However, if you are a little shaky, or you know you will stick to a program for the long haul, I highly recommend the 12 week program laid out by elitefitcross. This program is a bit slower pace with less demand on the body. Yet it will give you great confidence in the end and you will see your personal bests (PB) go up guaranteed!

Last item concerning programming, if you have previous lifting experience, are a personal trainer or have a friend who knows the ins and outs of the training principles, look at this page by TrainHeroic to create your own program.

NOW... to get down to business and decipher the codes written within these programs.

Most lifting programs are based off your single, heaviest lift one time noted as 1RM. When you view a program it will state something like:

Squat @ 80% 3x2.

This essentially means, if your squat 1RM is 100 pounds, you would Squat 80 pounds. If you were to say squat 300 pounds as your 1RM, you would essentially need to squat in this scenario 240 pounds. To find this number easily, input in your calculator your 1rm x.8 (100 x 0.8 = 80) and its that simple. Math made easy right?! Now to the remainder of that statement... the 3x2 section. This is telling you in the first number the amount of reps (times you complete that exercise without stopping) and then the amount of sets (number of times you complete the reps with breaks in between) in the second portion. So it kind of reads like this: Exercise (squat) at weight (80 pounds) - reps (3) for number of sets (2). So you would complete a set of squats with a weight of 80 pounds for 3 reps, rest and complete a second set of squats a 80 pounds for 3 reps to complete the prescribed workout scheme.

To further complicate the equation you will sometimes see a workout prescribed such as this:

Power Clean + Front Squat + Push Jerk @ 80%  (1+1+1) x 5

This is telling you to: Power clean the weight once, go directly into a front squat once, then complete a push jerk once to complete a single rep. Thats the (1+1+1) summation. then you will complete that sequence 5 times according to the statement/prescribed workout.

One last thing I want to throw out there because lets face it... it is Olympic weightlifting and the sport is enjoyed in more areas of the world than the US. Sometimes you may come across a program that has the actual weight involved instead of the percentage of your 1RM. Keep in mind it may be in kilograms. To easily convert kilograms to pounds you use a simple equation utilizing a factor of (2.2). To keep it simple, I will show what 100kg converts to and then back. (100kg x Factor of 2.2 = 220 pounds) So 220 pounds equals 100 kg (roughly). To convert the other way, just devide by the factor of (2.2). So 220 pounds / 2.2 = 100 kg. Lets give it a try with harder numbers. Lets take 300 pounds. 300 / 2.2 =136 kg or 115 kg x 2.2 = 253 pounds.

I hope all this is making sense. I know if you are new to this, it can be daunting. My recommendation is to work with someone who is a gym goer already. They don't need to be Mr Olympia or a world record holder to get you going. Just someone who has a few months in the gym and has followed a fair share of workouts.

Now its time to test your 1RM in the Squat, Deadlift, Over-Head Press, Push-Press, Snatch and Clean+Jerk to determine your program requirements. Remember a 1RM is not how much you can grind out while throwing caution to the wind. It is the 1RM you can safely and effectively lift without injury or S#!t form. For more references on how to properly perform these lifts, I would peruse Youtube as they have thousands of videos that will guide you to proper lifting techniques!

Have questions as to how to start after reading this? Not sure about the math when inputting a specified weight? Send me a msg or comment below. No worries, I will get back to you! And as always... stay safe, but crush your goals!

What is Olympic weightlifting?

Olympic Weightlifting:  the sport in which you attempt to lift a weighted barbell over head three times, in one of two ways, to combined the two best attempts into a total score. 

First is the snatch: The athlete approaches the bar with an athletic stance, grips the bar utilizing a wide grip while in a squatting position to begin. The initial pull is to the knees and resembles a deadlift. 

The second pull is from the top of the knee to the hip with a great emphasis on Triple extension (hip, knee and ankles) and pulling the bar up with the elbows high and wide.

The third pull is where the athlete forcefully lowers themselves below the bar and "punches" up to lock the bar overhead while in a overhead squat position.

After the three pulls have been completed, the athlete will then stand up tall with the bar overhead and elbows locked out for a completed lift.

Check out this quick video to see the Snatch performed by Oleksiy Torokhtiy
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBc5N_-xdqo

The second  lift is called the Clean and Jerk: The athlete takes an athletic stance and grips the bar just outside the thighs and is in a position where the shoulders are higher than the hips and the hips are higher than the knees. The initial pull also resembles a deadlift and is to the knees. 

The second pull is from the top of the knee to the upper thigh. The athlete will forcefully shrug the bar up utilizing the shoulders through the use of triple extension (ankles, knees and hips). During this moment the athlete will simultaneously lower themselves under the bar to receive (catch) the bar in a front squat position. 

The athlete will stabilize themselves before standing up tall with the bar across the front delts with elbows high.   

Then the final drive will begin with the hips and knees slightly hinging. The athlete will forcefully change directions pushing through the bar in an upward direction while driving the feet apart and into a split position (feet approximately shoulder width apart and resembling a lunge). The lift is completed when the athlete has the bar completely overhead with elbows locked out.

Check out this quick video to see the Clean and Jerk  performed by Oleksiy Torokhtiy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HyWjAk7fhY

Traditionally the competitions are calculated and recorded in kilograms. The athlete attempts each lift three times and takes the best of each lift to combined them into a total score.

Leave me a comment below letting me know if you liked my explanation or if I could elaborate more. 

Comment on what topics concerning Olympic weightlifting you may want to read about.  

Or just let me know if you dropped by my Instagram @eliteNRG. ꜜ

Check out some of my lifts on Instagram for more references:

https://www.instagram.com/elitenrg/