I have my first and second pulls down.
I need some exercises or techniques to help me with my speed in the squat under part of the lift
Do squat cleans from the hang.
Also start your cleans by doing 3 sets of 3 of each of the following:
- Standing on your toes, bar at chest, drop into full squat
- Standing on your toes, bar at navel, drop into full squat
- Standing on toes, bar at hips (i.e. with straight arms), drop into full squat.
This will help you learn to rack the bar quickly, and also get used to the feeling of pulling yourself under the bar. You can also add an extra drill similar to the last one, except you start with flat feet so you have to actively shrug yourself down under the bar.
Then move onto 3 sets of 3 from above the knee.
You might want to lower the weights you’re working with and concentrate on actively pulling yourself under the bar.
Box Jumps will help teach you to get under the bar because you must learn how to immediately bring your knees and torso together after jumping. I would imagine that Olympic Weightlifters are the best box-jumpers in the world.
thanks ninearms
I was doing my squat-unders better this training session , but now im having racking problems
it seems like the bar is just a hair too far forward, i mean just a little bit
any advice?
the best thing that works for me is rack cleans (from just below knee prob)
as long as the weight is challenging…i do it automatically, and for some reason it seems less scary or complicated, it just happens consistantly-maybe just because it forces you to be very fast (and its harder to pull all the way up so you have to drop under)
[quote]deandestructo wrote:
thanks ninearms
I was doing my squat-unders better this training session , but now im having racking problems
it seems like the bar is just a hair too far forward, i mean just a little bit
any advice?[/quote]
If the bar is forward I’m guessing you’re not staying over the bar. Turn your elbows out so they run along the bar - this will keep the bar close and also stop you pulling with your arms.
arms bend power ends
I keep my arms relaxed and you the power from my body and my legs, I try to imagine them as ropes just attached to the bar.
I think my biggest problem is i am not getting my elbows high enough quick enough when racking
The bar drills I mentioned will help with that a lot. Do them before every session, on your snatches too (with a snatch grip, obviously).
There are lots of reasons why the bar ends up forwards, such as:
- not staying over the bar
- driving the hips forwards instead of upwards
- not pulling the bar in at the transition between the first and second pull
- extending too early
-Ninearms
could you explain “extending too early” in detail please
I’m not an expert by a long shot so take this for what’s it’s worth.
What helped me immensely in learning to get under the bar quickly was to clean from the rack with pins set just right at or just below hip level (determine how low the pin needs to be in order for you to do a full front squat without hitting the bar). This may be dangerous (someone who knows more might want to chime in), but I used 135 lbs and just went for it and I got it the first time. Because of the hight of the pins (you basically only have enough room to shrug and extend at the ankles) and the confining nature of the rack, you’re forced to squat under the bar (rather than spreading the legs, which I found unavoidable from the floor). Also, there isn’t that fear of getting stapled because worst case scenario, the pins catch the bar. Just make sure you’re nice and warmed up first…
i dont have a rack with pins, could I just set the bar on block stacks at hip height?
are the pins set to keep the bar from traveling up or down?
I think im doing pretty good training with lite weight focusing on form
I watched some vids of rack pulls on you tube . they were done off of stacks of wood.
so what I need to do is basically the same thing just with my drop under and catch also?
[quote]deandestructo wrote:
i dont have a rack with pins, could I just set the bar on block stacks at hip height?[/quote]
Yeah, that should work just as well. The height of the pins – or blocks, in your case – should severely limit the force you can apply to the bar thereby forcing you to drop quickly under the bar to catch it. As someone else mentioned in an earlier post, it’s almost a natural reaction – like I said, having never been able to do it before, the fist time I tried it, I nailed it.
The bar rests on top of the pins and the hight prevents you from using any leg/hip drive. It’s kind of the clean equivalent of a drop snatch. Because you can’t get much elevation on the bar you are forced pull yourself under it.
Keep it up, if I can learn it, believe me, you’ll get it in no time…
so basically i need to set the rack so that when im standing fat footed my arms are fully extended and grasping the bar, with minimum distance for the bar to travel during my pull
so set it right below where I would end a complete dead lift?
[quote]deandestructo wrote:
I watched some vids of rack pulls on you tube . they were done off of stacks of wood.
so what I need to do is basically the same thing just with my drop under and catch also?[/quote]
Yes…and no. It should look something like this:
Same height and basic idea
I suggest you do exactly what this girl is doing. Keep working on the same drills you are already doing and when you feel comfortable, give it a shot. Notice how she is starting on her toes and dropping under the bar, using very little hip drive. Same concept as doing it from the rack…
Again though, take this as coming from a complete novice who is only giving you advice from my personal, unguided learning experience…there are people on this board who know a lot more than I do about this…
edit: just found this, might be helpful…
I’d start a little higher, but same concept
i think that I will just set the blocks low enough that i can do a full front squat without resting on them…that should fix that
I will also continue the other drills ( like the high hang )
thanks for the advice