And now for something a bit unusual

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hello everyone,


First things first, a little background information:

46yo
6'
~200# (sometimes can be a couple of pounds more)
275# Squat (yes, I know)
132# Press
174# Power Clean
129# Power Snatch


short version:

I would be grateful if you could have a look at my Jerk and give your opinion about it. The video is below.




long version:

I've been doing jerks for some time (> 3 yrs), for no other reason that they are a demanding, beautiful exercise. I train alone and have no access to competent coaching, so my Jerk today is the result of self-teaching and Internet advice. If you want, there is a rapid history of the evolution (or involution) of my form in this thread, from the Technique section:

Just jerk that s**t, motherf***er


The one below is a very recent video; the weight is equivalent to 95% of the most recent personal best (which is not the all-time PR, it has to be said).

https://vimeo.com/131691006


My biggest issue with this lift is that, despite trying through the years a variety of cues, I still haven't managed to get a straight dip and drive. The dip part seems almost ok, although I think I have the tendency to often go too deep, but once I invert the movement and start pushing up, the bar moves forward. My first request would then be to get some cues to try and correct this, in the hope that I can discover something new, or a new way to apply something that has already been mentioned to me.

I also know that I should push that front foot a bit further forward. That comes out fairly well with lighter weights, but from about 65Kg I seem to get crushed a bit by the bar, and bring the foot in a little. It's probably a combination of lack of strength and simple mental fear. Getting stronger would clearly help, and I am working on that (although progress is painfully slow, as it always been).


And that's pretty much it. Thanks a lot for your time.


IPB

[Tom Campitelli]

The dip part seems almost ok, although I think I have the tendency to often go too deep, but once I invert the movement and start pushing up, the bar moves forward.

The dip is where things actually go wrong for you. You are shifting on to your toes when you do so. Think about staying in your heels as you bend your knees. Mid foot is actually where we want you, but that cue should help. Also, see if you can make the dip faster. Think about reacting against the bar a la Ilyin on his jerks.

Getting stronger would clearly help, and I am working on that (although progress is painfully slow, as it always been).

You have been on these boards for too long to be squatting 275 pounds. You need to be stronger. This is non-negotiable for Olympic lifting. I have a 155 pound woman in her mid-thirties who has been lifting with me about 6 months. She squatted 242 pounds at a meet on Saturday. 242 is not that far from 275. She squatted 215 pounds for sets of five about a week ago. That's after six months of training doing a straight linear progression right out of the book. You need to get your squat to 160 kg for a set of five. You need to get your deadlifts to 190 kg for a set of five. All of this technique stuff matters not a bit without sufficient strength. It should not take you long to get to 140 kg for a single on the squat. If it does, something is wrong. Get going. Stop telling yourself it is going to be really hard to get stronger. To go from where you are to where you need to be is not like climbing Everest. It is completely doable for you.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hello Tom,

Think about staying in your heels as you bend your knees.

It's not like I've never tried to do this, I really have. I'll try again.

Thanks for your time.

IPB

[Tom Campitelli]

You seemed to think your dip was okay, but that things went wrong as you were driving up. I think the dip is the start of the problem. Perhaps concentrating on the dip will help.

[Tom DiStasio]

Hello Tom,



It's not like I've never tried to do this, I really have. I'll try again.

Thanks for your time.

IPB

Piggy backing off what Tom said, your dip starts down and forward into your toes and then on the way up you go even further forward onto your toes. You may have tried to stay in your heels as you bend your knees, but its not happening. Fix that and then its a start. Also, your dip is too deep and slow. Think of the dip and drive as more of a bounce (in which you "stay in your heels"). It should be a crisper movement, but its not because your not strong enough. Get stronger. Get your squat up and then you'll be able to support the weight better and fix your dip and drive.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Tom (and Tom again)

You may have tried to stay in your heels as you bend your knees, but its not happening.

I know, I can see it's not happening. It's just that I've tried many cues (stay on heels, raise your elbows, and so on), and none seem to work. Or rather, I can't seem to be able to execute them correctly. I am in situation where I know what the final result should be, but I can't find a way to get there.
From you and Tom are saying, there doesn't seem to be any magic cue, or one I haven't heard or tried yet; I just need to find a way to execute correctly the ones I already know. Which brings us back into a sort of circular situation, where I'll fix my dip once I stay on my heels, but if I knew how to stay on my heels my dip would be fixed.

At least now I know that even the only part I thought was not that far off actually is.

Thanks again to both of you for your time.

IPB

[stef]

If you make the dip short, you'll minimize the forward. Try starting there. Tom's reminder to bounce is a good one that ties right in.

Have you tried aiming for a different end point? That is, put the bar behind you. Let your body fix things to align to the target.

Sometimes a small change in stance (width + toes out a little more) can help.

Hard to recommend specific things from a video because of the limited view and lack of interaction.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

If you make the dip short, you'll minimize the forward. Try starting there.

Thanks Stef, this is a good idea.
And I'll try some tweaks to my stance too.
Last but not least, I am perfectly aware that there is only so much even a great coach can do with an ocean and half a continent in between. I'm very grateful nevertheless.

IPB

[jason1987]

I have a 155 pound woman in her mid-thirties who has been lifting with me about 6 months. She squatted 242 pounds at a meet on Saturday. 242 is not that far from 275. She squatted 215 pounds for sets of five about a week ago.

Is she hot?

[Tom Campitelli]

Is she hot?

I was tempted to delete this comment as I did one of your others. Take that stupidity to E&P, or better yet, some other board. Keep posting it on the Coaches Q&A and I'll just start deleting your posts without reading them.