Squat, PP, Deads, Snatch

Jakub Kruhlik · 08-21-2008, 06:10 PM

Steven Low · 08-22-2008, 04:01 PM

Squats look excellent. Nothing I could detect that needs fixing (although I only watched once).

Press (NOT push press -- push press utilizes bend in knees and then explosion to help drive up weight). Be more aggressive with moving your head through and keeping your face closer to the bar as it goes up.

Deadlift -- Start is TOO upright. This is how you should actually start your clean and snatch. Otherwise, looks fine. Read this (Rippetoe on DLs -- basically at the start you want the bar directly under your scapula with your lats/chest involved holding the angle and NOT the bar directly under your shoulder):

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/libr...ofDeadlift.pdf

Snatch - I am not an expert in this so someone else will need to give you better feedback but I noticed a couple simple things already:

1. Butt is probably slightly too low
2. back is rounded (straight/slight arch)
Note: Start your snatch and clean like you did your deadlift vid above...
3. Torso is not upright when you're exploding in second pull which leaves the bar out in front of you a bit (can't pull it back at heavier weights..).
4. 3rd pull: need to pull yourself quicker under the bar to receive faster
5. Arms may be a bit too straight when moving under the bar (although this is probably a byproduct of #3).

Last but not least... direct side angle isn't such a great idea. Side angle is good but move about 15 degrees towards your front as well. The weights are tending to block out a lot of stuff we need to see.

Chris Salvato · 08-22-2008, 04:05 PM

You are lucky i use a laptop and can turn it on its side.

Figure out a way to get all your video rotated. I don't care how...but its necessary :P

Also, put all of your videos into one big video that we can navigate through, if possible. I find this makes it easier to go through your lifts. Plus i can get a glass of milk or something while the whole file loads instead of having to babysit downloads on my shitty wireless connection.

1) Your squat videos are useless...

Firstly, the weights you are using are so big that we can't see anything. Also, its very dark. Thirdly, the angle sucks. Get the camera behind you at about a 45* angle so we can notice things like foot position, back position, hips position (like going past parallel) and head positions.

Only thing i can tell u based on those videos is that you are shooting your head straight up and thats no good. While loading the spine you're creating a crazy exaggerated cervical arc that is going to lead to problems. Some people say head neutral, other say looking ahead but you will be hard pressed to find someone who says look straight up.

2) Get weightlifting shoes. You will thank me later.

3) Head back more on the press. The bar is traveling forward. YOu can handle this on 115. Any more weight it will (a) throw you off balance and (b) make you fail. You want the bar path to be straight up. Pull your head back to achieve this.

4) On the DL Your shoulders are over the bar when you want your scaps to be. Make sure you move your body forward such that your SCAPS, not SHOULDERS are over the bar. This implies that the bar is not over your mid-foot and as you go heavier will be harder to achieve. Also, for god sakes, look down. Keep neutral spine...at the very worst look forward...not sure what you're doing by looking up like that.

5) I know less about the snatch than the other lifts but i can tell you for sure starting with a rounded back is no good. Probably because you are using little plates here...As you approach the normal height, you do not get your back into proper position as it stays rounded the whole way through until your extension.

Jakub Kruhlik · 08-24-2008, 06:04 PM

thanks for all the tips. ill be practicing the lifts with your guys pointers and will refilm my lifts in two weeks. also which book would be better to get Starting Strength or Greg Everett's?

Chris Salvato · 08-26-2008, 06:22 AM

Hm, sadly, I have yet to read Everett's book.

I can't really refer you to one over the other, but I CAN tell you that I started with SS by Rippetoe and wound up making a Trip to Wichita Falls while I was in Dallas one time...

Rip knows what he is doing and SS was an amazing way to get instruction on lifting form. I dunno what Everett did in his book, but Rip goes into great detail about the benefits of the lifts, the proper form and the kinesiological reasoning behind his assertions on Form.

Everett, from my experience on these boards, also has a ton of knowledge on the subject but does approach some of the lifts a bit differently - particularly the deadlift and squat.

No matter which methodology you use to get started, the results will be similar since you are novice (like 80%+ of the american population..)

I suggest that you read both...I sure know that I am going to be picking up Greg's book soon. SS is just the book that I have read and happen to refer to others.

Allen Yeh · 08-26-2008, 07:10 AM

They both cover different topics for the most part. So you can't refer one over another. You have to pick if you want a squat/deadlift/press focus or if you want to focus on the Olifts and accesory movements.