TheBoltBlog

My results from my first Olympic Lifting competition at OK Weightlifting, Austin, TX

Snatch 115kg (PR)
Clean & Jerk 142kg
Total 257kg

Don’t know if we got video of the Clean & Jerk, but here is my 115kg successful snatch and my miss at 120kg. This is a tough angle to analyze the lift, but there is plenty of room for improvement! See any faults that I typically call you out on? Post to comments

Natalie Burgener
Beautiful first pull by Natalie in this photo. When we do Snatch Grip DL we are essentially practicing the first pull of the snatch. Remember the first pull is a positioning pull; an attempt to move the bar efficiently to a strong position for the second pull- jump, violently extend the hips, and accelerating the bar as fast as possible.

Notice

• Flat back/Good lumbar curve
• Vertical shins
• Tall chest/doing everything she can to raise the shoulder and hips together
• Hook grip
• Straight arms/arms are like ropes/when the arms bend the power ends
• Shoulders slightly in front of the bar
• Bar in contact or very close to the shins/pulling the bar into her body
• And the Best for Last – Intensity and Aggressiveness/you can’t do the Oly Lifts with a timid heart

Sometimes its just you versus the bar, I love this picture of Michelle doing CrossFit Games Open WOD 11.3 (just her second time to do cleans in her life!). Many Oly coaches dislike CrossFit because of the high rep Oly lifts, but I believe proper coaching and high rep work or working while fatigued at very low weight, may be the best way to teach a novice. Michelle’s looked like another person entirely in her last 2 minutes of the workout, it was exciting to watch!

Of course, I am not recommending this for long term success of lifting max weight in the oly lifts, but I wholeheartedly believe through numerous experiences, to include this one, that the body can learn to move as it should (in a more efficient manner) in a semi-fatigued state.

Pretty close to triple extension, nonetheless a great jump and shrug for a beginner