Follow-up: Foot Position for Olympic Lifts

DID YOU KNOW? (FOOT POSITION) - by Waxman's Gym

I found this gem of an article published by Waxman's Gym (Lawndale, CA) which describes why "toes pointed slightly out" for weightlifting is biomechanically sound.

As stated in the article (linked above):

"With your toes slightly out, your hip flexors gain some slack which allows better pelvic tilt, better lumbar position, and a more vertical torso.  Toes-out also allow the bar to start closer to your body since your knees and shins (tracking in the directions of your toes) will not be quite as far forward."

This article serves as a follow-up to the post I drafted about foot position in the set-up of the snatch titled "Snatch Set-up (Part 2): Foot Position".  What's missing in my write-up are the specific reasons regarding body positioning in relation to the barbell and inherent biomechnics, and the above linked article does a great job at providing technical explanations supporting a slightly toes-out foot position.

Shoulder Impingement

Has CrossFit or weightlifting caused you to experience constant shoulder pain, stiffness, or pinching?  Here's another great link for shoulder issues:

http://www.p2sportscare.com/pain-relief-huntington-beach-ca/how-can-this-help-my-injury/impingement-syndrome-shoulder-pain/

The link above explains "shoulder impingement" or Impingement Syndrome - a pinching pain often combined with restricted range of motion.

There's a good video embedded in the link above that explains how the shoulder works and how injury may have occurred.  Check it out!

Barbell Trajectory

Garhammer, J. (1988) Weightlifting performance and techniques of men and women. In: International Conference on Weightlifting and Strength Training. Ed: Komi, P.V. Lahti, Finland: Gummerus Printing. 89-94.
[Accessed through Sean Waxman of Waxman's Gym in Lawndale, CA]

Some Functional HIIT programs teach lifters to keep a "vertical bar path" during lifts such as the snatch or clean.  I started using the concept of a vertical bar path when coaching athletes new to weightlifting since many beginners allow the barbell to travel too far in front of their body through the second pull or over-correct the barbell path behind their bodies while punching/catching the bar overhead - both being mistakes that make the lift less efficient.

The figure above was posted through social media and caught my eye since it contradicted the coaching cue of "vertical bar path".  While I'm hardly qualified to breakdown the nuances of weightlifting technique, I'll run through a few things I can add for consideration when studying the figure regarding bar trajectories.

1.  Note where the barbell is starting: over the mid foot where the knuckle of the big toe meets the foot.  The barbell is NOT in contact with the shin but is two -four inches (approximately) away from the shin.
2.  Most lifts will begin by bringing the barbell "into you" (reference trajectories A and B) as you lift from the floor and clear the knees.
3.  The point the barbell changes direction is when it makes contact with the upper thigh just prior to full hip extension.

Correcting my coaching cues, I'll now replace "vertical bar path" with a description of how the lifter must minimize the "horizontal distance between the bar and hips" (see link to reference article below).

These concepts are better explained in Sean Waxman's article titled "A Technical Description of the Pull in Weightlifting".

Lift Calculator

Link to lift calculator:

http://www.qwa.org/Resources/Calculators.aspx

Link above takes you to a lifting calculator provided by the Queensland Weightlifting Association that calculates what your other lifts "should be" based off one input.  For example, if I input that my back squat is at 190 lbs (~86 kg), the calculator estimates the following:

     Back Squat = 190 lbs (~86 kg)

     ...then...

     Snatch = 117 lbs (~53 kg)
     Power Snatch = 96 lbs (~43 kg)
     Clean & Jerk = 147 lbs (~66 kg)
     Power Clean = 120 lbs (~54 kg)
     Front Squat = 164 lbs (~74 kg)

This information can help gauge the progress of an athlete and can reveal weaknesses in both training and technique.  See "Shut Up and Lift" Volume #23 (a newsletter published by Waxman's Gym) for more information about what a shortfall in projected lifts could mean (symptoms and prescribed training fixes).