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Banned In The USA: A Renegade Approach To Learning The Olympic Lifts

By July 21, 2011January 9th, 2014Guest Blogs, Sport Specific Training

Today’s post is by a friend of mine named Nick Horton. Nick is an Olympic weightlifting coach out of Portland, Oregon. I’ve found Nick to be very intelligent, humble, and open-minded; a rare combination of qualities. I really like this blogpost because it shows an effective alternative to conventional pulling technique that you don’t hear about too often. Enjoy!

Banned In The USA: A Renegade Approach To Learning The Olympic Lifts
by Nick Horton

What I’m about to tell you could get me shot, but I’m going to say it anyway. There is more than one way to do the Olympic lifts.  Yes … that’s right.  I’m crazy enough to have said that in public!

In this article I’m going to go over the basics of a technique called, “The Low Hip Start.”  Here in the United States it is considered totally unorthodox and it is flat-out banned by the majority of the Olympic lifting coaches in the country.  Yet, it is quite common in some of the best weightlifting countries in the world – including China.

The Low Hip Start is a method that makes getting the bar from the ground to the hip – the hardest part of a Snatch or Clean – FAR easier for the Average Jane weightlifter.  And I think you have a right to know about it.   But be warned, my friend. If you use it here in America, you are a renegade weightlifter!

Welcome to the revolution.

The Basic Problem

Contrary to the propaganda that gets floated around, there is no such thing as the canonical method, or the “ideal” form of the snatch or the clean and jerk that everyone should be doing.  While the underlying physics of what is happening to the barbell in a successful lift is the same across all lifters (the laws of physics ain’t changing), the “technique” – those movements of the body we see with our naked eyes – can vary widely from one lifter to the next based upon natural variations in how different humans are shaped.

To explain, let’s go over two things that we know for sure about what the bar has to do.

  1. The bar path should be as close to straight as possible.  In reality, the bar path will be shaped something like an “S”.  Using the human body as a “power source” means that we’re forced to maneuver the bar around the body.  Given this, our goal is to “skinny” the S as much as we possibly can!
  2. The bar must have non-decreasing acceleration.  That is, it will move faster at the end of the lift than it does at the beginning.  You can and will add speed, but you can’t take it away.  Otherwise, gravity will win.

We know these things about what the BAR has to do.  Those are the basic physics of the situation.  The question we are faced with is, “How do we best get the bar to do those things with our wimpy human bodies?”  Or, “What is the best technique to use to make this happen?”

The Cardinal Rule of Weightlifting: when the bar hits the hips, you MUST be on your heels!!!

Not every coach is going to agree with me on this. However, in my opinion, if you get everything else wrong, but you are able to stay on your heels when the bar hits your hip, then we can turn you into a weightlifter.

In the old High Hip Start position (as demonstrated by the great David Rigert, above) there is a hierarchy:  Your knees are below your hips; your hips are below your shoulders; and your shoulders are forward over the bar.  The bar is also starting close to the shins, over the “laces” of the shoe, or arch of the foot.  Your weight will be on the mid-foot, or even the ball of the foot in this position.  As soon as you pull the weight off the floor, the goal is to quickly shift your balance back onto the heels for the remainder of the pull.  Essentially, the start position looks a bit like that of a deadlift.

So … What’s the big deal?  Why not just do it the old way?  Let me repeat myself:

“As soon as you pull the weight off the floor, the goal is to quickly shift your balance back onto the heels for the remainder of the pull.”

How likely do you think it is that with a heavy weight, if you start on the balls of the feet, that you will be able to shift back onto the heels?  I can tell you:  Not Likely!

You must be on your heels when the bar is at the hip position.  I cannot stress this enough.  When I’m in the gym I sound like a broken record.  “Heels, heels, stay on your heels!”  Of all of the things that come out of my mouth, that’s the one that I say the most often.  And with good reason.  It does you no good to get your hips through, finish your pull, and be moving fast if the bar ends up two feet in front of you.   Putting the bar in the right spot is priority number one.

The Low Hip Start is one way coaches have found to increase the number of real-world lifters (like you!) who are able to stay on their heels throughout the entirety of their snatches and cleans – and thus lift more weight overhead.

Phase One:  Heels Down, Hips Down

The biggest difference that you can see between the picture of the Low Hip Start  and the picture of the High Hip Start is the obvious:  the hips are low!  But, there is more to it than that.

In the Low Hip Start:

  1. The weight of the athlete is on the heel, rather than the mid-foot or ball of the foot.
  2. The shoulders are either right on top of the bar, or even behind itIn the photo, my lifter Beth has hers behind the bar, Brandon is right on top.  (NOTE: Brandon actually lifts better when he gets his shoulders back farther!)
  3. The bar is directly over the base of the toes, farther from the body. Most of the time, the bar will be in direct contact with the shins (not always), but because you are in a low squat-like position, the knees are so far forward that the bar is pushed forward accordingly.  This causes the bar to swoop into you as you pick it off the ground – a good thing.

When learning how to do this, it helps to lean backwards a lot.  Exaggerate the lean-back, be back on the heels, but still keep the knees forward.  (It’s hard to do this with an empty bar, but once you get to about 75 or 100 pounds, you can usually lean back very far without falling over backwards.)  I’ve found that the exaggerated lean-back teaches someone the Low Hip Start faster than if they don’t use it.  Over time, the lifter can dial down how far they are leaning backwards at the start.  But in the beginning, really go for it.  I want you to err on the side of being on the heels.

Finally, throughout the entire pull your lats should be as tight as you can get them.  Lock them up before you lift the bar off of the ground and keep them that way.  Your lats help to keep the bar in closer to your body.

Below, I’m giving you two checklists.  The first is the one that I’d be thinking about while watching a lifter.  The second is the one I want the lifter to have in their mind before they lift the bar off the ground.

Technical Checklist for the Coach

  • Weight on the heels.
  • Hips low.  Hip bone as low as, or lower than the knee bone!
  • Knees forward.
  • Bar directly above the base of the toes.
  • Leaning back.
  • Shoulders directly above or behind the bar.

Practical Checklist for the Athlete

  • Hips low!
  • Lean back.
  • Lats tight!

Phase Two:  Heels Down, Knees Back

It is the transition from Phase One to Phase Two that presents the biggest problem for practitioners using the old High Hip Start.  They need to somehow transition from being on the balls of their feet to their heels before the bar reaches their knees.  The problem is that the bar is heavy!  It, along with its evil accomplice Gravity, is conspiring to drag you forward.  If you are already forward to begin with at the start, then you have even more work to do to get back on the heels.  With a Low Hip Start that just isn’t an issue.

In the picture above both Beth and Brandon look like they are in a Romanian Deadlift (RDL) position.  That’s pretty accurate.  The reason you want to get into an RDL position is so that you can get your knees back out of the way of the bar – shins perpendicular to the ground.  Remember that our goal is to “skinny” the S-curve of the barbells upward trajectory as much as we possibly can.  If your knees are in the way of the bar as it is moving up, then the bar will have to zigzag around the knees.   Bad news.

Unfortunately, the combination of leaning way back and actively trying to stay on the heels can cause some lifters to avoid getting their knees out of the way, or their hips high enough.  When they do this, they never reach the crane-like position that you see above, and as such, they are losing power.

The contrary concern is that some athletes will successfully rise up the hips, get the knees back, and push their shoulders forward over the bar, but in doing so, they get off of their heels and roll forward onto the ball of the foot.

Of the two problems, I prefer that you err on the side of the first: Stay on your heels, even if you aren’t doing a good enough job getting the knees back. If you get off of your heels at this point, you will never get back again.  It is death!  The bar will fly forward so far that you will miss anything heavy no matter how powerfully you pulled it.

Obviously, the goal is to learn how to do both.  Stay on your heels while simultaneously driving your knees back and “bowing” over the bar.  Since most lifters will only be able to learn one at a time, it is my opinion that you should learn how to stay on your heels first!

Technical Checklist for the Coach

  • Heels down.
  • Leaning back (ish).
  • Knees back (shins perpendicular to the ground).
  • Butt high.
  • Shoulders over the bar.
  • Bar touching the knee caps.

Practical Checklist for the Athlete

  • Heels down.
  • Knees back.
  • Lats tight.

Phase Three:  Heels Down, Hit the Hips!

Now that you’ve done all this work to make sure that you stay on your heels, don’t let up!  A LOT of athletes will get to the knees, be on their heels fine, and then right at the last minute while transitioning into Phase Three, they will go up onto the toes.  So sad …

The Hip Position is the most important position of the entire movement.  The reason you did all of the rest of the work you’ve done up to this point is precisely so that you can be in the perfect spot once the bar reaches your hips.  Don’t get lazy and waste it.

  • You should be on your heels now more than ever.
  • Your shoulders should be either right on top (like Brandon’s – left), or behind the bar (like Peter’s are – right).    I prefer behind.
  • Your knees are slightly bent.
  • The bar should be resting in the hip crease (for the snatch, or very high on the thigh in the clean).
  • Lats are tight.
  • Chest is up.

The last issue is a big one.  You know you need to get that bar to touch the hips.  Some coaches say, “Hit the Hip”, others say “Brush the Hip”.   But, the point is the same.  The bar MUST touch your hips before it goes up.  If it doesn’t you are losing a substantial amount of power, not to mention the bar’s trajectory is going to be all wrong.

Many lifters misinterpret this edict and actively drive their hips forward to meet the bar, thereby hitting the bar with the hip.  This causes the bar to fly forward, they miss it, and then they look at me quixotically and say, “What happened? I did just what you said!  I hit the bar with my hips.”

To which I respond, “No … I said Hit the Hips with the Bar!”

There’s a difference!

Bring the bar to you, do not go toward the bar. Keep the lats flexed. Stay on the heels.  Drive backwards.    Get the bar moving back.   Do not move forward to reach the bar.  You are in control, the bar isn’t.

Technical Checklist for the Coach

  • Heels down
  • Bar in the hip (or high on thighs for the clean)
  • Knees and hips slightly bent.
  • Shoulders behind the bar (or at least on top of it)

Practical Checklist for the Athlete

  • Heels down.
  • Bar in the hips (it should literally be touching the hips). 
  • Lats tight. 

Conclusion

Staying on your heels throughout the pull is the most important thing you can do in the beginning while you are learning.  There is a lot more to weightlifting than that.  Heck, I could write another entire article about how to transition from the pull to the catch.  But, that would be worthless if you aren’t able to stay on your heels throughout the pull, because you’d never be able to catch anything heavy anyway!

By the time the bar is in the hip position, you have to be on your heels in order to provide the necessary force, and the necessary trajectory to the bar.  Using the old High Hip Start technique makes it too hard for most people to honestly pull that off.  They start on their toes and most never get off of them again.  This is especially true of people who don’t have constant coaching by a competent instructor.

The Low Hip Start is a “sneaky” trick to keep you back on your heels throughout the entire pull.  You start on your heels and you stay on your heels.

Heels, Heels, Heels!

28 Comments

  • allie says:

    Great post! Always nice to hear another approach to getting the bar UP. But wait, where is the weight supposed to be on one’s feet? Heels?? 🙂

  • Great post!

    I personally don’t use O lifts a regular part of my training programs. But, I’ve learned lots about them from a multitude of elite O lifting coaches. One of which is Coach Don McCauley who wrote the book called “The Power Trip.” This post lines up with what Coach McCauley says in his book. He also discusses pulling the bar backwards into the hip in the second of his three phases of the lift. I recommend his book to anyone interested in O lifts. It’s written in a simple, user-freindly format that anyone, regardless of experience can understand and apply. http://www.muscledriverusa.com/The-Power-Trip-by-Don-McCauley-Book-and-DVD_p_1346.html

    • Nick Horton says:

      Nick, that’s a great book. I’ve found Don to be a remarkably astute coach. And, as this article makes clear, I’ve gone out of my way to learn as much as I can from his ideas and apply that knowledge to my own lifters.

      Yes, people, buy that book!!

    • TIM SWORDS says:

      DON IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND I ALSO LIKE HIS BOOK. THIS TRAINING STYLE IS NOT NEW TO COACHES HERE IN THE USA. REMEMBER THAT ATHLETES HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS BECAUSE OF THEIR PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES. A TALL MAN HAS A HARDER TIME WITH LOW HIPS IN THE LIFTS.
      I HAVE COACHED OVER 1000 WEIGHT LIFTERS AND 26 USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AND I TELL YOU THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SKIN A CAT!!!

  • Steve says:

    Good stuff as usual, Nick!
    You mention this possible problem: “Unfortunately, the combination of leaning way back and actively trying to stay on the heels can cause some lifters to avoid getting their knees out of the way, or their hips high enough. When they do this, they never reach the crane-like position that you see above, and as such, they are losing power.”
    I have found that being able to visualise how the legs should move has helped my squatting and I wonder whetehr it might help in the Olympic lifts too. In particular, watching Max Aita squatting has helped – you can plainly see the shin becoming perpendicular first, then – in the crane-like position – the hips come through: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO3rv5vHy00&feature=related

    • Nick Horton says:

      Finding your own mental cues (the ones that work best for YOU) is imperative when you are doing something this complicated. Everyone responds to different things in different ways.

      Sometimes telling someone to “get the knees back” works wonders. For others, “get the hips high” works. That’s one of the things I love about coaching. You have to constantly find new ways to relate to people.

      • TIM SWORDS says:

        STEVE YOUR NOT LEANING WAY BACK! THE INTIAL PUSH AND I MEAN PUSH NOT PULL IS DONE COMPLETELY WITH KNEE EXTENSION. THE HIPS AND SHOULDERS MOVE TOGETHER AS THE BAR MOVES BACK IN A SWEEPING MOTION, THAT IMO SHOULD HAPPEN NATURALLY IF THE LEGS ARE DOING WHAT THEIR SUPPOSED TO DO. AS LONG AS YOU CAN STAY FLAT FOOTED AS YOU PUSH THROUGH THE FLOOR, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE MAX FORCE.

        PS THERE IS NO TRIPLE EXTESION IN WEIGHTLIFTING!! AND IF YOU WATCH ELITE WLIFTERS COMPETE, YOU WILL SEE WORLD CHAMPIONS GO TO THE TOES WHEN FINISHING THEIR PULL. VERY FEW EXTEND FLAT FOOTED SUCCESSFULLY. THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT TO DO THIS LIKE DIMAS (HIS TECH WASN’T LIKE ANYONE ELSES ANYWAY) WITH HIS WEIRD HEAD THRUST AND PREMATURE PULL, BUT SOME GUYS DO IT WITH SUCCESS!

  • TIM SWORDS says:

    ALL SORTS OF USA LIFTERS START THIS WAY!!!!!!!!!

    • Nick Horton says:

      Of course you are right, Tim.

      Lots of lifters do – as anyone who watched Nationals this weekend would know. The title was meant to be (in part) tongue in cheek and for fun. But, as you know, many many coaches are still quite adamant that the high hip start is the only way to go.

      There is no conspiracy or anything silly like that. Heavens no.

      But, the tradition has been one way (the High Hip) and it is only slowly changing. The best lifters in the US are largely starting with a low hip start. But, then, they are coached by some of the best coaches, so that makes sense.

      The people at the local meets, clubs, CrossFit clubs, etc teach the High Hip version almost exclusively. Given the likely audience here (not the inner circle of Oly lifters), I felt compelled to address the wider community of people who do the Olympic lifts – primarily regular folk, not serious competitors.

      No argument from me that lots of great lifters in the US use this.

      • TIM SWORDS says:

        YURI VARDANIAN SNATCHED 400 LBS AS A 81 KILOS LIFTER WITH HIS EXTREMELY HIGH. LOOK AT MOST OF YOUR RUSSIAN AND EX SOVIET LIFTERS (ALMOST ALL START WITH HIGH HIPS.

        ORIENTALS START WITH THEM LOWER BECAUSE OF THE SHORT QUADS.

        THERE WERE SOME SUCCESSFUL BULGARIANS THAT USED THE [PULL YOUR TALKING ABOUT IN THIS ARTICLE. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS HERE IS THAT DRIVING THROUGH THE HEELS MAKES THE LIFTER JUMP BACKWARDS AND IT HAS CAUSED ELBOW INJURIES DUE TO BEING OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION WHEN RECEIVING THE BAR.
        THE MOST FAMOUS WITH BULGARIAN WORLD RECORD HOLDER GOERGI GARDEAV WHO ENDED UP DESTROYING HIS ELBOW IN CANADA AT THE WORLDS IN 2003. I WAS THERE AND SAW THE LIFT. FLAT FEET HELP FORCE PRODUCTION, BUT WHEN THE HIPS ARE TO LOW THE LIFTER HAS TO BE DISCIPLINED NOT TO PULL IT AROUND THE KNEES.
        THERE IS SO MUCH MORE HERE I COULD TALK ABOUT, I JUST DON’T HAVE THE TIME.

        TIM SWORDS
        USAW INTERNATIONAL COACH

  • Nick Horton says:

    I think I should get this out of the way now, so that people don’t get the wrong idea.

    Lots of coaches in ALL fields disagree STRONGLY with one another. Olympic weightlifting is no different.

    But, in contrast to the fun sarcasm in the intro to this article, the reason I LOVE the sport of Olympic weightlifting is because the people (coach and lifters) are largely so welcoming and willing to engage with you in honest debate. Yes, many completely disagree with one another. But, the respect is still there.

    I’m promoting something that SOME coaches believe to be true (I’m clearly one of them), and others don’t. I like to joke around and have fun, so I put that into the article. Don’t take it too seriously. Some of the coaches and lifters I’m closest to think I’m crazy for teaching things this way. But, we’re still friends.

    We’re all in this together.

  • Peter Haas says:

    Great analysis and writeup. This is how I teach the start, with one notable exception, as highlighted in one of your statements:

    “Unfortunately, the combination of leaning way back and actively trying to stay on the heels can cause some lifters to avoid getting their knees out of the way, or their hips high enough. When they do this, they never reach the crane-like position that you see above, and as such, they are losing power.”

    I teach bar over base of toes, arms vertical, and weight on the MIDFOOT instead of heels. To come off of the ground, they slam their knees back, keep the back angle constant, and shift the weight of the whole system back to their heels. By the time they get all of their weight back to the heels, the bar will be right below the knee. If they start back on the heels, the quoted problem happens because they have no room to shift their weight back and end up off balance.

    I also cue a knees out position (in the crook of the elbow) to engage more musculature and to help get the knees back even sooner. Especially highlighting your girl, her back angle has changed from Pic 1 to Pic 2, probably because of the length of her legs, she has to drop her chest to get the bar around her knees without the bar swinging out. I’ve found knees out to help get the knees out of the way and preserve that back angle.

    I mean this with all due respect. Again, great analysis and writeup.

    • Nick Horton says:

      Peter,

      a lot of my lifters do end up (eventually) lifting precisely as you say. I push the heels down at the start at the beginning because I’m most concerned with a beginner successfully getting the bar back. And, in my experience, when I focus more on knees getting back during the first part of the pull, they overdo it, and end up on their toes more than I want them to.

      Now … that is just my own experience. I think there are lots of ways to go about getting lifters to eventually be doing the same thing. What is important in any form of teaching is a systematic approach to get there. You clearly have one that works for you. I have one that works for me. And, our lifters will end up in the right places.

      Great stuff!

      OH, I also like the knees out for a lot of lifters (I do it myself), but I don’t push it. For lifters with long legs and short torso’s, I don’t mind them bowing over the bar far more, because with their levers, it will increase the force production at the top of the pull – they are naturally strong pullers with a body like a cable-pulley machine. But, that said, they often end up leaping forward more if we’re not careful.

      There is a real balance to watch out for, for sure!! In an article that is so short, it is hard to explain all the variations that work for different people. But, that is exactly why having a watchful coach is so helpful with the Oly lifts. Each lifter ends up with a technique that is CLOSE to the “ideal” but uniquely theirs. I find that fascinating.

  • Mindy says:

    Great post, just started lifting, thanks to Bret and Nia’s beautiful badass posts, and noticed yesterday I am on my toes pushing up into a lift,now I know what I’m doing wrong and will work on correcting it. Thanks again for all of the great information! I am enjoying this new journey after years of not seeing noticible change.

    • Nick Horton says:

      I’m glad to hear that you are seeing such great progress. Bret and Nia are beautiful badass’s themselves! So, reading what you can of theirs is sure to keep you going!

  • Echo says:

    This post does a great job of outlining the hows, whys and fundamentals of the low start (I should probably start calling it the heel start). My body type prefers this and because I train on my own it is priceless to be reminded by the pro’s about how to perform these lifts in a technically sound manner. In about 15 minutes the neighbors will hear me coaching myself, “Heels down! Knees back! Bar to the hips! Lats tight!” Thanks Bret and Nick.

    • Nick Horton says:

      “The Heel Start” is actually a good name for it, as that is the real point.

      I apologize to your neighbors in advance for the racket you are about to make!

  • Niel says:

    “I said Hit the Hips with the Bar!”

    That’s a great cue Nick. I’ve seen a ton of lifters slam their hips into the bar and pop it forward.

    Variation among lifters is very common and optimal pull can be different person-to-person. The frog stance for example is something I wouldn’t recommend for many, but a few people find it works well for themselves. Experimenting to find what works best for oneself is a sure way to improve in the long run.

    • Nick Horton says:

      You are SO right, and it is why I so strongly suggest finding a good coach if you are at all serious about the Oly lifts. While I always START someone out with the Low Hip Start, I’ve raised a number of lifters hips up higher over time as needed. And I have one very good lifter who uses the old high hip start.

      Regarding the frog stance: I actually use the frog stance myself on the snatch. What makes that more funny is that I am also a split snatcher!! Ironically given the limitations of this style, I’m a far more efficient snatcher than I am a cleaner. It’s totally oddball to be frog-style split-snatching with a low hip start, but it’s what I found worked best. And, now the snatch is my best lift.

      We all have our quirks. If you don’t have a coach to figure this out with you, then you have to be highly conscious of yourself, your body, and what works best for you. Time and experimentation are your friends!

  • Joel says:

    Informative article. When I was self-taught I used to do the lifts high hips, as if I was doing a conventional powerlifting deadlift. I would also jump forward as a result. When I got serious I decided to hire an e-coach (mezzie). I started doing low-hips. He also drilled into my thick skull “stay on your heels.” Big difference in my performance. Thanks for the feedback on Coach Don’s book. I already have Greg Everett’s book and DVD. Next one I plan to get is Tommy Kono’s book, then Coach Don’s. One can never have too many resources. 🙂

  • Rich says:

    That was a great article.

  • Josh says:

    In my abbreviated experience performing and coaching the lifts, I have to agree that different body types thrive with different techniques. Many of the athletes I have encountered are predisposed to succeed with the high hip position simply because they lack the mobility and body awareness to properly/comfortably pull from the low position. However, a few have simply walked up to the bar and started in a low position. Whatever floats your boat, I say. The key is teaching them maintain balance between the body-bar system so that a high amount of force is produced and balance is maintained during the catch. Feedback is based on outcome, and most athletes respond best to making adjustments based on outcome–with suggestions from the coach. “You missed because the bar came too far forward. What part of your feet produced the force into the ground? What was the path of the bar like?” Using this coaching style I find many athletes “find” their groove; granted many of my trainees are not focused primarily on weightlifting unfortuantely. This is probably too simplistic of an explanation, but I think it is a conducive approach to coaching individuals who may thrive with different approaches/cues. Thanks for the thoughts and insights to all; I love taking this information in.

    • Nick Horton says:

      Finding what works for each lifter in particular is key to all coaching/teaching, no doubt. It’s what I like about being able to work with smaller groups (5 to 15) and not giant groups of 50+ kids. The coach/athlete ratio allows for so much more specialization of direction.

  • charlie says:

    it’s nice to hear a different perspective as without them we would never have moved away from the ‘splot’ etc but I disagree with the lack of ankle extension in particular but the article generally from a biomechanical and physics perspective. I do concede that lifter’s like the great Sulleymanoglou lean back, jump back and catch effectively but he also extends the ankle at/near the finish of the upward movement of the bar and uses a relatively high hip start, given his diminutive stature. so my take is that the hip height is more to do with lever length/proportions and comfort etc. the ankle extension seems to be a natural reaction to the powerful extension of the hips/glutes as well as mechanics/relationships with the quads and hams. it also aids full extension/bar height but there is such a thing as too much height admittedly i.e. there is a ‘sweet spot’. this is reminiscent of the taught double knee bend of old, both of which cause complications/risks to the detriment of the lift. in simple terms with heavy weights you need to manoeuvre round the bar more so than the other way round so trying to deliberately pull the bar into you will cause problems, not to mention inefficiencies as it detracts from energy used to direct the bar upwards, amongst other issues in terms of positioning. think of your arms as a piece of string and you will see the issues with the movement pattern prescribed.

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