banging hips -- PAINFUL

Rachel Izzo · 07-15-2009, 09:06 AM

So I'm pretty desperate at this point. A few weeks ago, I had a few bad snatch work outs and I pretty much felt like I'd fractured my pubic bone at the end, from hitting it so hard against the bar when I snatched. I rested a week or so, snatched again on Monday, and it's excruciating again.
What can I do to 1) not bounce the bar off my hips so much and 2) get the pain to go away? It's gotten to the point where just brushing the bar hurts because it's so bruised, and it's messing up my technique. I'm worried I'll have to take excessive time off from snatching because it's so painful.

I'll upload videos of my snatches, too.

Steven Low · 07-15-2009, 09:46 AM

Yeah, upload the vids and we'll see.

Garrett Smith · 07-16-2009, 09:26 AM

Slow-motion (12-15 seconds per rep) snatch pulls. Use this to really focus on your double-knee bend setting up a vertical second pull and a straight-up-and-down triple extension at the end.

Snatch pulls full speed while focusing on driving the bar straight up and not off your pelvis. If the bar is pushing forward, you're still doing something that is causing the bar to bang on the pelvic bone.

You might want to try other things to work on your snatch strength without risking your pelvic bone for a while, like snatch balances and OHS.

Ken Urakawa · 07-16-2009, 05:41 PM

I'd be willing to bet that you're letting your shoulders depress/sag as you come into the second pull. Try doing some hang snatches or pulls keeping your shoulders shrugged the whole time. Bar should contact waist band.

Greg Everett · 07-16-2009, 08:51 PM

bring the bar into your legs as it passes the knees. the only way you can bang is if there is distance between the bar and your hips. by the time it reaches your hips, it should already be in light contact with your body - no collision potential.

and finish with the leg drive - you're driving your hips into it instead of stretching your body tall. extend the body in a straight line (or close to it), just leaned back as a whole to whatever degree is necessary for balance. don't push the hips through the bar.

Garrett Smith · 07-17-2009, 05:54 AM

The slow motion pulls really helped me learn (in slow motion, natch) exactly what Greg described above. Easier to do/learn those things for me at super-slow speed.

Matt Foreman · 07-17-2009, 08:14 AM

Rachel,
This problem is often related to arm pull. If you start bending the elbows and pulling with the arms too early, it puts the bar in the position to nail that pelvic bone. It might be such a tiny difference that it's impossible to see visually. I've had that problem in the past. As you said, it's incredibly painful. Try thinking about longer arms through the middle of the pull and that might help. Good luck.

I was at a national meet a few years ago and Lancy Frye had been having this problem. He was working out in the warmup room the day before he competed and having trouble snatching 90 because it was so painful. We talked about possible arm pull issues being the reason, and the next day he snatched really well with no pain in the meet. I don't know if that was the exact reason for his problem, but it's food for thought.

Matt

Garrett Smith · 07-17-2009, 10:04 AM

I nailed my pubic bone on a PR so hard it bruised. Haven't done it since.

Between Matt and Greg, you've probably got the answer(s) laid out for you.

Jamie Jamieson · 07-17-2009, 12:17 PM

My 2cents: (without seeing a video) that you are not shrugging enough, or the timing of the shrug is late.