Feedback of Technique?

[Jeff Giliam]

This was the first time I'd recorded myself. Needless to say, what I saw didn't match well with what I felt. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated:

First snatch at 75%: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zxS8xBYMA4

Second snatch at 75%: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOM5YkgfczE

Clean and Jerk at 75%: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x5AZoCFs8w

After reviewing the previous, I played a bit with my starting position in some snatch pulls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rqTIABEJUA

[Damien Thompson]

Fast, good extension!!

In the snatch, the start position could be a little tighter trying to get a little more thoracic extension by lifting the chest, especially as you get up in weight.

You could maybe improve the catch position at the bottom to be a little more upright in the snatch (feet may need to move a little wider??, seems like your feet don't move out much after your extension). You may naturally do this when you go heavier??

From your clean position it looks like you have enough ankle flexibility to get a good bottom position in the snatch.

[Jeff Giliam]

I definitely noticed that about my snatch position. I do have really bad ankle flexibility on my left leg, but not enough to excuse that form! It's just always seemed more natural (read "easier") to duck my head under the bar rather than really sit into the squat that fast. I do need to work on my foot work a bit, but any other suggestions on how to train sitting into the squat on the snatch would be helpful!

[Damien Thompson]

http://performancemenu.com/exercises...?exerciseID=95

You can do this just trying to go deeper and deeper if you don't have the flexibility in the ankles/shoulders. I do it like the 1 & 1/4 squat, pressing and lower as i raise into the bottom 1/4 and gradually trying to get into a lower position as you loosen up over the course of the reps/sets.

Also look for Greg's warm-up series and ankle stretch in the bottom of the squat.

The Chinese coach here in Singapore has his lifters do this stretch for ages!! during there warm-up putting the bar on 1 knee at a time and then doing it with added weight before they start their warm-up sets. Some of the younger kids can almost fold their knee to the ground with a flat heel!

[Jeff Giliam]

Yeah, the ankle thing is gonna take some time. The one is so tight from an untended injury from years back. I'm in the process of seeing a sports chiropractor, but the process is VERY slow going.

To be honest, though, I think the problem has a lot more to do with my ducking my head under the bar rather than sitting in. My ankle flexibility is limited, but not THAT bad.

[Damien Thompson]

Originally Posted by Jeff Giliam

My ankle flexibility is limited, but not THAT bad.

I didn't think it was bad. From the looks of your clean bottom position you have pretty good ankle flexibility!!

[Robert Callahan]

Originally Posted by Damien Thompson

I didn't think it was bad. From the looks of your clean bottom position you have pretty good ankle flexibility!!

Yeah, you are getting into the correct posture at the bottom with the clean, so your ankle can do it.

I think the reason you are going so horizontal on the snatch is because you are diving under the bar. Get in the mind set that when you transition to under the bar you are pushing it STRAIGHT UP, not backwards.

Also I would spend some time overhead squatting and working on getting comfortable in that bottom position with a nice upright torso. Maybe some snatch balances would help with that also?

[Jeff Giliam]

Having taken a look at the clean and jerk video, I think it might be ankle flexibility. In that video I get into proper snatch posture in the torso, but that seems to be due to the difference in weight positioning between the front and overhead squats. My knees don't seem to go past my toes in either video.