The scoop...again

[Martin Bonn]

Hi everyone,
right so I've been lurking for a while and I tought it's time to join in on the fun!

I'm quite new to Oly lifting, so be gentle! :-p

My question is this:
I was looking at one of those big posters which has the frame by frame analysis of the snatch on it. This was issued by the german weightlifting team. They state that once the bar has cleared the knees the pull should be continued with the back (i.e. raising the chest) without letting the knees come forward. Once the bar reaches the jumping position the scoop should occur. So far so good.
Now, I was watching one of the crossfit videos where Sage B is teaching the snatch, she says that once you are past the knees you should scoop and get to the jumping position and extend. She described the double knee bend as an active process.
So now I'm confused: are the germans right (i.e. the double knee bend is unintentional), or is Sage right (i.e. get the knees under the bar, finish standing up until you hit the jumping position and jump), or did I get this all completely wrong?!

I hope I explained that reasonably well!

Thanks for your help guys!

M

[Greg Everett]

I won't comment on what Sage said because I didn't hear it - but the DKB is NOT an active process, directly at least. It's the result of an aggressive extension of the hips while continuing to aggressively extend the knees.

Quick explanation - http://www.cathletics.com/wod/video/...SemDVD-DKB.mov

[Martin Bonn]

Hey Greg,

thanks for the quick reply!
See, what you said is what I thought (and it's what you say in your book...).
The video of Sage teaching is a crossfit journal article (it's called 'Sage teaches the snatch', 6min long, if you want to have a look). I might just misunderstand what she says or this is part of a teaching progression that she uses, I don't mean to judge, I'm just curious.
Basically, she has people DL (with PVC) off the floor slowly and then rebend the knees (also slowly) and then she says jump, so the position they snatch from looks like a high hang but she got to that position using slow movements only.

So would I be right in saying that, once I m past the knees I extend slowly using glutes/hams (whilst keeping the knees in a fixed position) until i reach the jumping position and then i extend violently?
(I'm waiting for your DVD to arrive, I assume that will explain all of that, but I d just like to get into the gym and try it - patience is not my strong point!)

Thanks!

[Brian DeGennaro]

I think Sage is just using this progression as a teaching method and positioning drill. The movements are too quick to actively/consciously double knee bend. I know some coaches who don't teach the DKB but they go through the whole lift in slow-mo, including rebend, so the athlete has a feel for each position.

[Greg Everett]

what brian said. personally i don't like doing it that way because no matter what you tell the athlete, they will be thinking of doing it intentionally after a drill like that.

[Martin Bonn]

Thanks for that guys! Confusion has been cleared!