Hi Rip, I have a question regarding how the first pull of the quick lifts should be done. I understand that you advocate pulling the first pull in precisely the same manner as the deadlift from the ground up to the trigger point for the second pull, which is always superior to the knee joint. I also understand that in the deadlift, the back angle changes from a more horizontal angle to a less horizontal angle right from the moment the barbell leaves the ground, gradually becoming vertical as the deadlift is completed.

However, what do you think of a first pull that is done primarily with knee extension? This maintains the back angle so that it is almost the same at the start of the second pull as at the bottom. The result is that hip extension can go through a larger range of motion during the explosive second pull and so the posterior chain contributes more. The trade-off that the knee extensors (quads) contribute less. Another benefit is that the hamstrings are stretched as the knees extend while maintaining the same back angle, creating a stretch reflex for hip extension in the second pull.

Doing a deadlift in such a manner is not efficient because it reduces the hip extensors' contribution at the bottom of a maximal lift, but clean weights would be submaximal relative to the deadlift.

Simon Martirosyan (109.9kg, Armenia) snatching 187kg/412lb at the 2016 Junior Worlds: http://instagram.fper2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...43787141_n.mp4
This lifter does it demonstrably well, and there's a slow-motion clip that follows. His back angle does not really change until the bar is at his knees.

May I please know what you think of a first pull that is done primarily with knee extension, as opposed to doing it like a deadlift?