I’m sorry this took sooooo…long. I’ve been working 60 hours a week + school. I tried to write out a nice long post contrasting Galabin’s technique v. the traditional way we are taught here in the US. But I don’t have time for that because I am going to be looking for a new job. So I’m just gonna tell you what he does differently.
#1
Just after the bar passes his knees he begins to go up on his toes. Now this isn’t something he does with out thinking about it. He does this intentionally. I know this because he tried to get me to do it. But I am stubborn and wouldn’t try the technique until after a few months after he left. We tried to ask why he does this, but because of the language barrier we didn’t really get an answer. We did have some observations of our own. We all know that the bar tends to slow down as it passes the knees up until it reaches approximately the the explosion point (around the hip flexors). We also know that the world’s best lifters are able to accelorate through this portion of the lift. We noticed with this technique modification allowed for, at a minimum, less decelloration and, at best, allowed for much more acceloration. But I can’t put into words why this is. I did look at some videos and noticed that almost all of the top lifters do this, though I don’t know if the do it on purpose. Dimas is one, who I was surprised to find, uses this technique. I always thought he lifted flat through out the lift, but that is not the case. It is slight & you have to really be looking for it, but it is there. The only exceptions of top lifters who don’t do it to any degree are Gardev and Kahki. One final not on this change, for all you who “bump” the bar really hard, this technique, for me at least, lighted my “bump” considerably.
#2&3
He starts to shrug & PULL WITH HIS ARMS at the same time he starts going up on his toes. Again, these are things that he does intentionally and teaches others to do. Now I can say that starting the shrug early has an addative effect to going up on the toes. To paraphrase the shrug that Galabin taught us. The scapula should be squeezed & held together (that actually goes for the entire lift & squats), the shoulders should be “behind the ears”. It almost feals to me like I’m shrugging up and back. This is contrasted with the picture of Ivanchanco (I think) doing some pulls and he is shrugging but his shoulder are “in front” of his ears. My coach showed that picture to Galabin & asked him about it and Galabin said that it was bad technique & that was why Ivan was practicing pulls.
I had a “bad” habit of bending my arms early before training with Galabin so I really don’t know first hand the differences that this produces.
Alrighty that’s it for now. Now fight amongst yourselves about it.