First, let’s review proper technique.  In both the clean and the snatch the arms of the lifter during the initial first pull of the ground should remain straight.  As the barbell approaches the knees and passes them they should remain straight.  At this position the barbell will be in the relatively same position as the classic “hang position”.  Here the arms will still remain straight.  As the second pull is initiated from the knees the arms will remain straight until the lifter achieves extension of the ankles, knees and hips or “triple extension”.  Now the first time the lifter should use his arms in a non-isometirc contraction (contraction without joint movement) is when they have achieved full “triple extension” and the shoulders are shrugged upward.  At this point as upward momentum of both the lifter and barbell reaches its fullest point of extension the lifter may now pull on the barbell with a concentric contraction (contraction of muscles which causes the joint angle to shorten) where you will see the elbows bend and move upward.  At this point as it is explained in the USA Weightlifting Club coaches manual “This pulling action does not pull the barbell up; it pulls the lifter down, and accelerated the descent.”  So what they mean is as the momentum of the barbell and lifter is going upward the lifter will use the pulling with the arms after reaching maximal height of elevation before their momentum takes their feet off the platform to quickly change direction to downward momentum of their body with continued upward momentum of the barbell.  This is the only way that such impressive loads are able to be lifted by advanced and world class weightlifters.

Now, where does the flaw begin?  Bending the arms too early in the clean and snatch is best described by Strength Coach Mark Rippetoe in his book “Starting Strength” as he states rather sarcastically that somewhere in our brains we are hard wired to lift things with our arms.  Now, he is joking with that statement but part of it is true as many beginners and non beginners try to “muscle” the weight up in these lifts.  Where being strong and using a little muscle certainly helps lift heavy things it can be the flaw that limits your ability to lift heavy things in the long run.  The flaw of prematurely bending the elbows will cause several other flaws some of which are: not fully extending the hips, swinging the weight up with the spinal erectors, and performing an upright row movement instead of pulling the body under the bar to name a few.  I could keep going for several more hundred words on how this one flaw screws lifters out of reaching full potential in the O-Lifts.  But, I want to move on to why I choose the title of this little essay.

So why the Zen of Weightlifting.  Well, I love the book the “The Inner Athlete” By Dan Millman and in it he uses several examples taken from the martial arts to explain how certain thinks work in life and sports.  But, on example really hit home to me for a direct application to weightlifting technique.  In his chapter on Natural Laws he describes a drill called “Blending”.  It is the Martial Arts priniciple of No-Collision.  It is kind of like when pushed pull and when pulled push.  Now, before I start getting too philosophical and tell you to snatch the pebble from my hand Grasshopper.  Let’s briefly look back to finishing the second pull and achieving maximal extension with a barbell.  At this point if you correctly keep the arms straight and allow the legs to create the force needed to break inertia of the barbell and allow the tight levers of the body to lift the barbell upward once the peak height is reached the lifter should feel that barbell want to continue upward.  But, it is the flaw of bending the elbows too early and “muscling” the weight that won’t allow the lifter to feel this all important  feeling.   Now, back to blending…. When performing this drill your partner will give you resistance in the form of a push or a pull.  Your job is to match this force of being pulled or pushed with the opposite movement.  At this point of matching the resistance you should feel no resistance at all.  Now, back to the platform….. When you follow correct lifting technique man lifters and coaches will describe the transition from the second pull to the pull under as the barbell having a feel like there is a brief moment of weightlessness or no resistance; or something along those lines.  So that is much like blending. 

So the next time you are performing the O lifts or coaching them.  Try to use this Martial Arts principle of Blending to coach the lift.  You may find that this path of least resistance may just be what was ordered to help boost your lifts.  Now, about grabbing the pebble from my hand grasshopper.... 

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