Prerequisites for the Olympic lifts

[rashid29]

Just an anecdote, but my personal bests were 132kg/105kg @ 105kg at 24 and I never back squatted more than 170kg (high bar), and I don't know how much I could deadlift at the time since we never tested it but it was probably around the same.

Now I'm not saying that those personal bests wouldn't be higher if I was stronger but what you say isn't quite correct.

Well you did pretty well for a 170 squat but I stand by what I said. Very explosive athletes and very technically proficient athletes can do very well with relatively lower squat numbers. But I think for beginners especially it is important to develop a foundation of strength. This is a great time to do it since they should be using light loads on the fast lifts anyways to build their technique and timing.

Not that it really matters, but does anyone else notice the similarities in the bolded numbers above? Especially if Rashid is referring to low bar?

These observations were made in high bar squatters so the numbers may be a little different for low bar squatters.

[tnumrych]

Well you did pretty well for a 170 squat but I stand by what I said. Very explosive athletes and very technically proficient athletes can do very well with relatively lower squat numbers. But I think for beginners especially it is important to develop a foundation of strength. This is a great time to do it since they should be using light loads on the fast lifts anyways to build their technique and timing.





These observations were made in high bar squatters so the numbers may be a little different for low bar squatters.

Thanks for the kind words (if they were aimed at me) but I am far from explosive or technically proficient. I have no contention with your second point, beginners have strength to focus on first. I just thought the ratio you mentioned wasn't really accurate, from my personal experience and from my observations being around a team of lifters for a few years.

Again, this is not to saying that my, or my teammates', numbers would not have been better had we developed a better foundation of strength.

[Kyle Schuant]

[sunetdanne]

Interesting. Klokov as a ratio of about 1:0.8 for C&J:Press

I have read two statements

1) For normal weightlifter C&J:Press ratio 1:0.5

2) If you press 80kg, you push press 90kg, power jerk 100 and split jerk 110.

Lenoid Taranenko claim to have a press of 220kg this would make a C&J:Press ratio of: 1:0.83.

I think that a lot of people would gain from doing normal presses since they do transfer to the C&J and also help with the snatch. Its a pitty that to many people think that Olympic lifting is all lower body. Olympic lifting is whole body used. One should no only focus on using the hips and neglect the other body parts. This is common to see with the "bang the bar" lifting style that has become "popular".

[Suwannee Dave]

No need. I know what they think, and it's not interesting enough to hash out again. E&P awaits the topic. The fact that no current American Olympic weightlifter can deadlift 700 tells you what you need to know.

I think this is more of a cultural thing. Olympic weightlifting is just not valued very high in the USA and genetically big strong guys go into football, become body builders, or WSM competitors.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Hmm. I hadn't thought of that.

[Kyle Schuant]

I think this is more of a cultural thing. Olympic weightlifting is just not valued very high in the USA and genetically big strong guys go into football, become body builders, or WSM competitors.

So if the naturally strong guys aren't getting into it, you might have to make some people strong.

How on earth could we do that?