There are just two lifts in the sport of Olympic weightlifting: the snatch, and the clean and jerk. There is a reason these are the only lifts in the Olympics - they are the most difficult lifts on can perform. Highly athletic and technical in nature, they require a balance of strength, flexibility, agility, speed, coordination, balance, and courage. Yes, courage, because lifting heavy weight above your head is not for the faint of heart.
Last night, after the WOD (that's me to the right of the guy wearing the #11 t-shirt),
(image courtesy of Flatirons CrossFit)
we practiced snatches. The snatch is simple in concept: lift a weight over your head in one continuous movement. But, like I said, it's highly technical. There are a lot of things you have to do get there (courtesy of Wikipedia).
- Approach the bar and with back straight, crouch low and grasp the bar with it positioned over the balls of your feet. Legs should be bent with the buttocks close to the heels. Any kind of grip may be used, however it is standard to use a wide grip, with the hands near the ends of bar. A hook grip is normally used in competition. The chest should be puffed out and the shoulders slightly forward of the bar.
- Begin lifting. The hips, shoulders and bar should move at the same pace. Push from the toes and slowly transition the weight into the mid-foot as you lift. The angle of the torso relative to the ground should remain constant.
- Keep the bar close to your legs as you lift - this ensures proper alignment of the body. The bar should brush your legs a little on the way up.
- When the weight is at mid-thigh, accelerate the bar upward by powerfully extending the knees and hips (and to some degree the ankles) until the body is fully erect. At the same time, shrug the shoulders. This part of the lift is known as the 'scoop' or 'second pull'. Often, a lifter will bend the knees slightly and bring their torso to vertical before the second pull. This is called the 'double knee bend' style of lifting.
- At the apex of the bar's height, pull your body underneath the bar, catching it with locked arms overhead while squatting. This part of the motion requires a developed sense of timing and coordination, and is the crux of the entire lift.
- Lock your arms with the weight overhead and stand up from the squat position.
This lift requires coordination, torso (core) stability, and explosive power of the legs to generate the upward momentum required to snatch hundreds of pounds overhead. Tremendous speed is required to get underneath the bar after the second pull.
I really like Olympic lifting. I find it challenging and fun. I'm not really into competition, but may do that some day.
Olympic highlights. These guys are lifting some massive weight!
