"Today was a very lackluster day of training, probably just fatigue from last week, which was a particularly hard week. So no video of the usual suspects today.
I would like to share a video of Andrew Jester doing a snatching complex that I like to use to correct certain technique flaws. The exercise is a snatch high pull followed by a hang snatch from just below the knee. I emphasize high elbows on the pull and a very “tall” finish. This exercise is useful if you are coaching a lifter who has the tendency to push the bar out away from himself with the second pull, or doesnt want to allow the arms to bend while going under the bar causing excessive bar swing or excessive layback while going under. It should not be used with a lifter who has a tendency to pull with the arms early or a tendency to over-pull.
The longer I have coached the more and more I believe in using exercise selection to perfect technique instead of just drills with light weights. It seems to work better, and has the advantage of allowing you to push hard on whatever exercise you are doing and continue to build strength, something hard to do if you are drilling with light weights. It also seems to lead to a more “ingrained” technical change, since you are practicing the better movement pattern with challenging weights, as opposed to the all to often situation where one might correct a flaw with light weight on the bar, but the flaw comes back as soon as a challenging weight is on the bar.
The possibilities are endless. A lifter who cuts the pull can do more power snatches or power cleans. A lifter who “floats” or has a slow transition from pulling to going under is sometimes well served by practicing the power versions of the lifts with weights right up around and even a little beyond what they can actually power snatch or power clean and emphasizing putting all available effort into catching and stopping above parallel… even when they are not successful and sink below parallel its ok, its the effort that matters, not the actual high catch. A lifter who has trouble pushing the knees back can use a 2-3 second pause at the knee when lifting. This both gives the lifter a better opportunity to get into the correct position, emphasizes that position, and builds strength in that position making it more comfortable for the lifter. A lifter who is not generating a lot of acceleration with the second pull can do lifts from a box that puts the starting position of the bar at mid thigh, forcing acceleration on the second pull if one wants to make the lift.
In general any exercise that encourages whatever is “opposite” to the flaw or weak point of the lifter is a positive. Just be careful that you keep a close eye on things and don’t go too far, for instance snatch high pulls with high elbows might work to encourage a straight pull in a lifter who tends to swing the bar, but if overdone can cause the same lifter to eventually over-pull or arm pull. Extra power snatches might be good if a lifter tends to cut his pull in the snatch, but if overdone can lead to overpulling. What has worked best for me is to use complexes of 1 or 2 reps of whatever remedial exercise is being used followed by 1 rep of the competition movement when possible, if that is not possible then at least perform some reps of the competition movement within the same training session as the remedial movement. This seems to increase the carryover effect.
And remember to go heavy and challenge yourself. When using this method usually the heavier you go and the more you challenge yourself on the remedial exercise the more you encourage the positive change in technique and the greater the chance that you will be able to retain the positive change in technique when using challenging weights on the competitive movements."
Here is the video.
Feel free to read this on his page, to show support.
No comments:
Post a Comment