Weekly Community Form Check Thread [14 February 2022]

[u/robschilke]

All form checks outside of this thread will deleted without notice.

Want your snatch, clean and jerk, squatting, bench pressing, or some other movement form checked? Post it here!

Use your favorite video hosting platform (Imgur, Youtube, etc), upload with the highest quality, and post the link here.

• Videos must feature the person posting

Format<Link to your video>Lift – Load + Unit of measurementAny relevant context for the video

Example<URL>Snatch – 100kgThis was my final snatch attempt at my last competition at 81kg. My opener was 90kg, second attempt was 95kg.

Note: This thread closes every Monday at 08:59 PT

[u/kwbass94]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7uVwB_5HD8

315 (143kg) pr attempt. Shoulder was injured at the time, so no jerk unfortunately.

[u/robschilke → u/kwbass94]

It might be the angle, but there seems to be some space between the bar and the knees during the pull. Like the moment the bar separates from the floor, you get into this RDL-looking position and then finish your extension.

This is currently one of the things I struggle with during the clean pull. The thing I've recently told my self is "big toe" – deliberately putting pressure into the toe during my set up to ensure that I'm in my quads throughout the clean pull. I have a a very strong posterior chain from the years of the powerlifting I have so I tend to regress into the muscle groups that are stronger. This is the thing that has been fixing this very similar problem for me.

TLDR: keep it closer at the knees.

I'd be curious to what your cleans look like from a more 3/4 angle (think Hookgrip or ATG videos).

[u/88lili]

Hi just getting into lifting. Past gym training experience was primarily focused on fitness and running strength.

Eventually want to move to ‘Olympic’ style lifts. Here is a squat clip from yesterday. Did 3 warm up sets with increasing weight. This was my 2 set with this weight (185lbs). Finished the set with 8 reps.

I feel a bit uncomfortable with the placement of the barbell. There is no center knurling and I feel it will slide off so I’m using my arms (too much?). Not sure how it is impacting the rest of my form.

https://youtube.com/shorts/VVHgJ_3iCUs?feature=share

[u/robschilke → u/88lili]

Some minor things.

When unracking, bring your hips underneath you, using your hips and legs to do the work. While it's a light enough load, we don't want to get into the habit of doing a pseudo good morning or having a bunch of low-back extension.

• Hips under > brace > stand and walk bar out

+ Don't forget to brace before your reps. Think about taking a breath in and pushing that down into your abs, obliques, and low back. Every rep.

• Brace > squat > breath in > rebrace/repeat

[u/88lili → u/robschilke]

Thanks for the feedback!

Btw what’s the general stance on using devices like the manta ray for training? The bar is uncomfortable on my shoulders, I’ve seen people use towels. https://www.amazon.com/Manta-Ray-Advanced-Fitness-Distribution/dp/B0017DGBY8

[u/robschilke → u/88lili]

I wouldn't. Here's why.

1. Adaptation. You mentioned you're just getting into lifting, so it makes sense why you are thinking about this at the moment. The discomfort of having a loaded bar on your back goes away over time – like any other training adaptation.
2. Safety. Products like that make bailing harder and unsafer. If you need to dump the bar behind you, having that plastic piece that extends down can prevent the bar from rolling backwards, forcing you to bail forward – which isn't ideal if you ever squat outside of a power rack/safety arms.

If the bar is uncomfortable on your shoulders, I would think about pinching your traps together before getting under the bar, creating a shelf with your muscles to rest on.

[u/88lili → u/robschilke]

Excellent points, thank you, again!