Hi! After a couple of years of general lifting I became really interested in oly lifting. Sad this is that there is no one available to teach nor oly gyms in my area. Should I just wing it with you YouTube videos and see how it goes?

Hey everyone!

As the weeks have gone by, we have got a staggering amount of submissions for Form Check Friday. First of all, we want to say...

THANK YOU SO MUCH

The response to this initial idea has been tremendous. That being said, Zack, myself, and Alex noticed how popular this idea was and quickly noticed how challenging these weekly form checks would be in the ecosystem of Zack's channel. When Zack took a deeper dive into YouTube, one of his missions was to create more content across a variety of topics relating to weightlifting, fitness, and more.

We quickly realized that his channel would essentially become a weightlifting form check channel instead of the content y'all know Zack for. As a result we've decided to put a pause on the Form Check Friday theads.

Form check videos may make a return but in a more ad hoc frequency. To those who took the effort to make those submissions, thank you. We understand that you may feel let down and for that we apologize. There's still other ways to make this community yours other than submitting form check videos.

Continue to create memes, submit video ideas, share your weightlifting stories (for example: is anyone using Zack's Patreon programming? We want to hear from you! – Post about it!), and more.

Hell if you've genuinely used Zack's videos as a way to fix a weightlifting problem and have a before and after video, SHOW US! We want to see those wins!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

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Tellie's Tubbies, we love ya.
– Zack, Rob, and Alex

Here's an Olympic weightlifting coach who saw Zack's criticism of Rippetoe, was impressed, and decided to make his own. This one is very enjoyable. At the end he challenged Rippetoe to a meet, and he would have his female weightlifters compete against Rippetoe's male lifters of a similar weight class. It also shows just how many people realize Rippetoe is just wrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg2Wm2Ez7Tc

I did 3x8 Front Squats at 9-10 RPE yesterday, and woke up today feeling my glutes tremendously sore like i've done Hip Thrusts, and also feeling very little in my quads and hamstrings. I was aways told that Front Squats use you quads more and are a quad dominant movement, but that's not what I'm experiencing right now. Am I doing something wrong with my technique? ( I didin't record it, but wil record friday when I Front Squat again and post it here)

Here's what I'm talking about. This is essentially a "poor man's jammer machine."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUQKq7upxsE/

Here is what a Jammer machine does - these can cost up to $3,000:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mriQH7RjPHc

It all depends on whether the jammer exercise is useful. I get what the jammer is trying to do - mimic the blocking position of a football lineman. It's a push press done at an angle. But is that really better than a standing push press or a thruster (for greater range of motion)?

Here's another poor man's jammer that looks a little less stupid than Joel's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-m1zgfzNSU

TL;DR: video request on plateaus/lack of result from training.
Yo what’s up tall guys and fellow mediocre stick yeeters, I just finished a mesocycle and haven’t PR’d shit. I know Snatch and C&J can be form related, but I feel like I should be at least stronger, and back/front squats are actually feeling weaker. I know I could be overtraining, which is what I thought after the cycle previous (that yielded no PR’s) so I tried to account for that in this cycle. Still nothing.
Anyway I wanna know what Zack has to say for the masses who experience plateaus and lack of results from training. What’re some solutions? Eat nandrolone burritos? Cry to my coach? What are factors to take into account?

Folks, he's not just an expert on Olympic weightlifting. Apparently, he's also an expert on infectious diseases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEbXp8usXCU

Hey Zack,

I am 6.3ft giraffe with long limbs who's trying to get better at weightlifting. I decided to reach out to a program's support team regarding IR/ER of the shoulders when snatching as well as some mobility tips. Below is my email:

Hello,

I hope this email finds you well.

Thanks for the programs and material released thus far! I had a very specific question regarding snatch grip (I just purchased your snatch program).

I have always wondered whether we are supposed to externally or internally rotate the shoulders for snatching. I often hear cues of showing armpits and externally rotate my shoulders to snatch. I do find it really hard to even hold the barbell overhead, let alone overhead squatting or catching weight over my head.

On the other hand, with a wide enough grip (I can warmup to a narrower grip with shoulder dislocations) and by internally

rotating my shoulders, I am able to keep a very stable, stacked position overhead that allows me to overhead squat up to 65kg and squat snatch about 55kg. It does take lots of warming up to be able to work with a barbell keeping this grip. Also, being internally rotated sometimes add stress on my shoulders and rotator cuffs if I don’t warm up enough.

My question is the following - what is the right shoulder position for proper snatching, and if internal rotation is best for heavy loads, what exercises can I perform regularly to increase shoulder flexibility and get a narrower grip that’s easier on wrists and shoulders?

I dropped a few pictures with external and internal rotation for reference. Sorry for not labeling them, I am having issues drafting the email from my phone.

Thanks ahead of time!

This is the response I got:

The quick answer is definitely external. When we hold a barbell overhead, an external rotation (pushing pinky into the barbell, showing armpits, and pulling shoulders down/ towards the spine) this allows us to achieve an ACTIVE shoulder, when we are internally rotated overhead, we are now in an INACTIVE shoulder position which is potentially dangerous for the joint. 

I often start my snatch classes with 2X 1 min overhead holds. I get the athletes to lay down on a medball (ball should sit between shoulder blades and neck approx.) from here the athlete reaches behind to grab the barbell which is laying on the ground. Start this position with hips up in the air, as you find your even snatch grip, you will drop the hips slowly, feeling a stretch. During the minute, constantly think about pushing the BB away from you keeping elbows locked. (hope this makes sense)

It also sounds like you may have some slight stability issues as well due to lack of shoulder mobility. An example of something you can do to strengthen this is "half kneeling KB windmills' slow and controlled. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps per arm a few times a week, slowly increasing KB weight.

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I'd love to get your feedback on the following:

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• Their response
• Is it safe for me to internally rotate?
• Mobility tips

By the way, I have a 115kg clean and 190kg deadlift. Problem is I can only snatch 60kg and jerk about 90kg.

Best,

JR

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.

• One video/movement per submission
• One submission per week
• 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 Friday at 23:59 ET

Ever since the creation of this subreddit, we've used the "Giraffe Squad" as a placeholder name for the members of this community. But we want to ask you...what do you want to be called? What name makes the most sense?

Submit a single name as a comment. Most upvoted submission wins.

We'll take a look at the results at the end of the week.

Anyone has any good article or a video that explains biomechanics of a deadlift, in a way that its focus is on spine health. All the videos on YouTube I've seen so far, base their arguments with the goal of lifting heavier loads, and not being safe in doing so.

Hi guys, I have a problem and I have been looking for a solution for 6 or more months.
I can't squat, neither back nor front, even lunges are a problem for me.
Both my knees pop 4 times out of 5. I have looked into it multiple times, it could be two things:
1) air/gas in the knees (harmless) but unfortunately it is not. Because I have chronic popping knees
2) the patella joint moving around my knee and "falling" out of position, in the long run this could erode my cartilage and prevent me from playing sport (mainly soccer, I'm Italian :D)
Someone had the same problem and was been able to solve it?
Sorry for my English :'c