Form in O-lifts

[_William_]

I had a friend on the school football team show me how to perform cleans and he didn't seem to know all those details I've read about like first-pull, second-pull. He did emphasize things like back straight, and hips low.

Since I don't plan on going to any olympic weightlifting competitions, it does it matter if I'm not using completely effective O-Lifting technique? I figure as long as I'm not injuring myself its alright. I just wanted an explosive and fun movement in my workouts, and cleans fit the bill.

[Toby]

Haven't started the Olympic lifts yet, but I did get "Olympic-Style Weightlifting Tape & Manual for the Beginner & Intermediate Weightlifter" by Jim Schmitz, ordered from Ironmind on Ford Prefect's recommendation. Whew! Long sentence. Anyway, I haven't read the whole manual or watched the whole tape yet, but it looks good. Expensive, though. And the production quality of the tape is laughable. Especially the handwriting on the label that says something like "There's a problem with the sound quality in the middle of the tape. Sorry." But apart from that, the content seems very good. It goes through more Oly lifts than I need. Possibly all of them, but being a novice I wouldn't know.

Here's the website link:

Ironmind link (http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1203&variation=&aitem=25&mitem=47)

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Toby
Especially the handwriting on the label that says something like "There's a problem with the sound quality in the middle of the tape. Sorry."

lol. I wonder if they all say that? Or just yours.

But as long as it's watchable, who cares if the quality isn't perfect.

[Toby]

Haha. I thought that, but then I thought why would Ironmind send me a crappy one when they could just as easily throw it out and give me a good one? Especially as I spent US$150 or so in my last order. The labels are handwritten though. One on the side and one on the top (from the perspective of putting it in the vcr). Another thing is the sound. I've got a PAL vcr but it says it can play NTSC vids. However, I've got to crank the TV volume up to about 50 before it's the right volume, when normally it's set at 10. It's like he just used the microphone on a cheap video camera on a tripod when he's standing 20' away from it. Lots of "fuzzy" background noise too. There was no camera operator, either. He just set it up on a tripod and stood in the frame by the looks of it. Still, it's all about the content, right? At least, that's what I'll keep telling myself :p.

[Ford Prefect]

Yup. Horrible production quality, but it is a terrific tape. My label is handwritten too. ;)

[Toby]

Thanks Ford. Makes me feel better - not like they gave me a dud :p.

[_William_]

I just got a book from the library, "Explosive Lifting For Sports" published by Human Kinetics. The learning progression has the reader first do snatch pulls from a high hang, then a power snatch from a high hang, and after that snatch pulls and power snatch from a low hang, and finally a power snatch from the floor.

I'll be sure to look into the tape set and book from Ironmind, after I finish working through the book I just borrowed. Thanks for the replies and recommendation.

William