Overall:
Squat and Bench Press weren't easy, so I'll take it easy for next week with the increasement but need to figure out how much. Dead Lift was easy and felt good. Tomorrow again rowing for 2 hours, just 5 weeks and I have to row the 100k
We changed the line-up and it was pretty awesome. We went early today, it was a beautifull day and that always result in a lot of powerboats on the water and massive waves which for rowing is pretty crap. So we went early and no powerboats etc. 3 more weeks and than the 100k. I'll probably lay off for two weeks with strength training and just do some light work and then work up again. Ah well, maybe only the week after we will see.
Hey guys and girls, a few days ago I asked if anyone wanted to know what sort of technique I was aiming for. No one replied so I guess you guys don’t want to hear about it. Though luck! I thought I might post some things about the technique of the lifts and maybe start a bit of a discussion, or not, but I think making knowledge available or discussing it will bring us further.
What I wanted to discuss or share with you is something about the bar path. With the use of modern software such as dartfish and kinovea (download this it’s free!). It becomes fairly easy to understand and follow how the bar travels during the lifts that you make. For what I understand and read is that there are approximately two methods of technique. The triple extension and the catapult method (see here the video’s of Don McCauley about the catapult method, as well view here a discussion on the matter by Greg Everett). But I guess what is common in the both is to make way the bar travels an efficient one.
This brings me to the writings of R.A. Roman and Tommy Kono. Both portray in their books that the bar has to travels in a sort of “S” shape. And this “S” shape is made up, as Tommy Kono explains it, of series of straight lines. We know that the most efficient way to go from A to B is in a straight line. So why the “S” shape then? Well the “S” shape of the pull that is generated is because of the leverage of the muscles and joints that are constantly changing as the bar travels up. (Kono 2001:15) So that makes the “S” shape in the pull.
Now how does such a thing look like? Well look at figure 1., you can see how at A the bar should travel as it goes up. The initial curve, the first part, the bar shifts from the instep to the middle of the feet (middle-line of the body). At the middle section bar shouldn’t make an abrupt change of direction, for this would lose acceleration and it must travel in the area of balance (center of gravity). The second curve, the bar travels away of the body and is now important to keep this in and as close of the body so that the bar will not travels outside of the area of balance and out of control. And this makes up the “S” shape. (Kono 2001:15)
Now you might remember the presentation of Tommy Kono from my earlier posts and there he talks about how he sees that nowadays that many lifters ‘swing’ the bar and as such lose leverage because the bar travels outside the area of balance. And will result in missed lifts because then the bar needs to be caught behind or in front of the lifter. He notices that when for instance in the snatch if a lifter doesn’t flexes (or bends) his elbows in the lift he is ‘swinging’ the bar and thus losing leverage. Now look at figure 1 again, there you can see at C & D the path of a bar that has struck the thighs and bounced away. Figure C show the bar travel of the mid-thigh striking the bar and Figure D shows the path of lifter that feel the need to pass the bar over the knees and strike the bar with the lower part of the thighs. Figure E, show that even with a good begin of the pull doesn’t assure that the finish of the lift will be succesfull. The curve of E-1 shows the height that is necessary to catch the bar in a squat snatch. E-2 and E-3 show the loss of height in the pull because the bar travels outside the area of balance. And as such the good way to lift are portrayed in Figures A, B, and E-1. (Kono 2001: 15-16). The same bar path movement and what is the most optimal is also being described in the book of R.A. Roman, see figure 2 for that. (Roman 1989:14)
Now it becomes interesting to see how this relates to lifters that are now in competition. How would you classify some of the lifts? Could they be more efficient or are they just perfect?
Overall:
Was bit of a strange day, the clean and jerk went well on some points and bad on other. I don't want to state the same things over and over but still working on the points from the previous weeks. I'm able to get the weight overhead but I still have some difficulties. But hey! it's better to know you weaknesses than not.
Overall:
Deloaded the Pull-Up and it went well, Squats and Presses felt good not as difficult as last week but I increased it not that much but well, progression is progression.
Overall:
I was really feeling it today, I guess, I haven't watched the video's that I made, but it felt good. I'll probably comment on the lifts tomorrow. Maybe I'll try to post some, as a part two on the technique posts.
Overall:
Getting better at the clean and I'm being able to let the bar travel inside the area of balance. Still if I look at the video's I can see that the bar travels pretty high so I'm able to pull more but my jerk lacks behind. I'm still propelling it in front of me, I really need to get it to travel in a vertical path.
Last edited by Kincain; 04-27-2010 at 03:39 PM.
Reason: typo
Overall:
Squat went pretty well, still not the easiest thing to do but I managed it. Press didn't prove to be too diffucult. But pull-ups were more dificult than the other lifts. Tomorrow a rest day and then on to the Snatches.
Edit:
Just saw that I forgot to increase the weight on the press from last week. I feel pretty dumb right now. Well I'll have to increase it next week then
Last edited by Kincain; 04-27-2010 at 03:44 PM.
Reason: dumbassness
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