Hi guys. I’ve been teaching myself the Sn and CnJ for about five weeks now. Very light, just snatch, clean & jerk three times a week with moderate volume. I have an okay strength background, having trained the powerlifts for a few years. Now learning weightlifting as a new challenge.
Yesterday I tried maxing for the first time, and hit some numbers I’m happy with - but I know my technique breakdown meant I left plenty on the table. So I would love any advice I can get from you knowledgeable folks.
You easily have the power to snatch 100kg right now. It’s just a matter of getting under the bar faster. Your 90 and 95 KG snatches were caught in the power position. That clean didn’t look bad at all, but you didn’t get under the bar on the jerk. I think looking up at the bar threw you off some.
Greater shoulder mobility should help. You looked uncomfortable stabilizing those snatches overhead.
[quote]amayakyrol wrote:
You easily have the power to snatch 100kg right now. It’s just a matter of getting under the bar faster. Your 90 and 95 KG snatches were caught in the power position. That clean didn’t look bad at all, but you didn’t get under the bar on the jerk. I think looking up at the bar threw you off some.
Greater shoulder mobility should help. You looked uncomfortable stabilizing those snatches overhead.
[/quote]
Yeah it was uncomfortable because before that day I’ve never held more than 60kg in a snatch grip above my head, let alone in an OHS position. My shoulder mobility isn’t the best either.
In terms of getting under the bar faster - just lots of submax practice, snatch balances, or…? Thanks for your help.
under the bar faster: Heavy snatches from blocks, and heavy hang snatches/cleans. However, since it looks like you have trouble catching in a full squat when the weight gets heavy, it might be better to just put a little more weight on the bar, reminding yourself to pull yourself under every time. So working with 65,7 70, and maybe 75 kilos until you’re comfortable with them.
Work them in doubles and singles. Its generally not reccommended that beginners max out often because their technique isn’t natural enough, so it can ingrain poor movement patterns if you go too heavy too often.
And when you look at it, its not that you need to get under the bar faster, its that you actually need to just get under the bar. Your speed looks fine during the 60kg lift, and the cleans, but because you weren’t used to the weight, you felt ike you needed to pull really hard, and really high. So instead, figure out where you start catching the bar high (so where form breaks down), then move down a few kilos and drill, drill, drill until catching the bar in a squat is more comfortable than catching it in the power position.
The weight should be very secondary right now. Do plenty of threes and fives with good form, classics/squats not powers. Keep your shoulders over the bar and your hips down at the start/first pull.
[quote]Charlietr wrote:
The weight should be very secondary right now. Do plenty of threes and fives with good form, classics/squats not powers. Keep your shoulders over the bar and your hips down at the start/first pull.[/quote]
