WL Bar Path

[buttwinkrom]

For the fast lifts, can you explain the purposes for the vertical and s-curve bar paths?

[Mark Rippetoe]

The vertical bar path is the most efficient way to perform work against gravity. I see no purpose for a curved bar path. This is dealt with in the book.

[Rachel Crass]

The s-curve is the fastest and most effective way to get a complex biological organism under a bar in the shortest amount of time to clean the most weight. Vertical pulls result in more hypertrophy. S curves result in more explosive strength and speed. But.....just my $.025 *smile*

[buttwinkrom]

Why does every weightlifter on an international platform use a curved bar path? I am trying to understand the difference.

Regards,
Butt Wink

[quad]

I think he means the bar path in the snatch and in the cnj. It's not vertical because it's not possible, but it's as close as possible to vertical.

[elVarouza]

If only this had been discussed somewhere on the internet before!

[Mark Rippetoe]

The s-curve is the fastest and most effective way to get a complex biological organism under a bar in the shortest amount of time to clean the most weight. Vertical pulls result in more hypertrophy. S curves result in more explosive strength and speed.

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. If the load is operating in a gravitational framework, that straight line must be vertical if all the work done is to be performed against gravity. If you are actually arguing that a curved line is capable of being pulled through faster than a straight line, I'd like to see your analysis. I'll be happy to post the pictures of you pulling the same weight higher -- and therefore more efficiently -- with a straight bar path, having received no instruction on the different styles. With your permission, of course.

Hypertrophy is a physiologic response to training, and the straight bar path results in more moment force applied against the load through the mid-pull. This requires stronger erectors, so sure, your back needs to get stronger and thus bigger if you're going to lift more efficiently.

Why does every weightlifter on an international platform use a curved bar path? I am trying to understand the difference.

This is not true. You are not trying to understand anything.

[OCG]

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. If the load is operating in a gravitational framework, that straight line must be vertical if all the work done is to be performed against gravity.

I get the feeling Rip that a lot of the people arguing for a curved bar path don't have any background in physics whatsoever.

Really, this isn't that hard to grasp. This is high school level physics with a little mathematics thrown in.

[Rachel Crass]

We don't pull the bar as high as we can. We pull it as high as we have to. With an S-curve, we don't have to pull it as high because we're able to change directions and get under it easier. We'd rather pull a bar 1.1m in .6s than pull it 1.2m in .7s.

It's all been discussed ad nauseum. I'm cool with agreeing to disagree.

[Mark Rippetoe]

A bar pulled more efficiently can be pulled higher. Therefore a bar pulled more efficiently can be pulled with heavier weight. This becomes important eventually. You can disagree if you want to, but you'd still be wrong. Even though you are very sweet, and a pleasure to be around.