The ABC's of Weightlifting, Part Two

by Tommy Kono (1969)

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This month we cover two of the three commonest errors made in the “pull” section of the Olympic lifts.

The two errors are related somewhat not only because they appear in “lifting” the weight up for the

Snatch or Clean (not Power Clean), but because the correct lifting action flows from one position to the

next. Obviously, if you start a lift incorrectly, there is little chance of correcting the errors as the lift

progresses.

Detailed Explanation of the Incorrect and Correct Method

The Initial Pull:

When an inexperienced lifter attempts to lift a barbell to the chest from the floor he invariably starts the

pull with bent arms. The hips are held high because they are unaccustomed to employ their legs to start

the pull. When the weights become heavier still, added to the above mistakes, they also tend to round

their backs or hunch over since this is the strongest starting position for them. In effect, they employ the

muscles which they have been most accustomed to using during their daily life. Some of the more

advanced lifters fall into this habit too when going extremely heavy or trying for record lifts. I know of

one West Coast middleweight who lifted using this technique and his best Clean & Jerk was about 315.

The heavier the weight became the more he used to lean forward and flex his arms just prior to the start

of the pull. This same middleweight, with some expert coaching from his dad and others, corrected this

mistake and in combination with his improved training methods was able to SNATCH 325 using straps as

a lightheavyweight 2½ years later.

When using this incorrect method, in an effort to give an all-out pull at the very beginning of the lift, the

lifter will automatically start to contract his trapezius and flex his arms to bring his chest closer to the

bar. The back too (either the lower or upper or both) hunches over to bring his chest closer to the bar.

Exerting maximum power in this position brings about a couple of bad effects:

(1) The body or head “jars” before the weight leaves the floor because either the back bows more or the

arms straighten out a little causing the body to change position without the bar being lifted. A more

vivid example to explain this action would be that of a person who tugs on a slack rope which is attached

to a stalled car. The rope will whip taut in taking up the slack and he would “jar” but the car will not

move. Another good example to remember would be the story about the man who had a stalled car and

needed a push to get it started. A woman driver came by and asked if she could help. The man told her

that he needed a push but since his car has an automatic transmission he would have to be pushed up

to 40 miles-per-hour before it would start. The accommodating woman reared her car back for about

one hundred feet and then came at him from behind trying to build her car speed up to 40 mph.

Pulling the weight is very similar to this. You cannot exert everything you have at the very beginning of

the pull.

(2) By exerting maximum pull at the start of the lift you dissipate all your force to overcome the

gravitational pull on the barbell and would have nothing left for the second and more important part of

the pull.

Now, to the approximate correct starting position, and I say “approximate” because it depends on a

person’s height and body structure in regard to how high the hips will be in relation to the shoulders. A

lifter may start with his shoulders well over the bar but when the weight actually begins to leave the

platform the shoulders would be right above or even slightly behind the bar. The lower back is held

rigidly straight or even arched in. THE IDEA BEHIND THE INITIAL PULL SHOULD NOT BE THE MOTION OF

PULLING BUT THE ACT OF SEPARATING THE BAR FROM THE PLATFORM. If you concentrate on the

principle of creating more distance between the platform and the bar your back will retain its position

without hunching nor will you tend to flex your arms so quickly: hence achieving a smooth and

accelerated pull. THE INITIAL PULL SERVES ONLY TO PLACE THE BODY AND BAR INTO THE STRONGEST

POSITION FOR THE SECOND PULL.

The Second Pull

There is very little difference between most correct and incorrect positions but the effect of the minor

differences makes a great deal of difference in the final result. In both cases the bar is fixed at knee

height but the positions vary only by the placement of the shoulders.

When a lifter is positioned with his shoulders right above the bar, because the balance of the body is

more in the middle of the feet, the lifter has a tendency of straightening his body backward; i.e., the

shoulders go backward, using the hips as the pivoting point. The shoulders-over-bar position also

prevents you from using your legs forcefully to extend the body upward. The end result is that the bar is

pulled backwards and the lifter must jump back to catch the weight at either shoulder height or

overhead, depending on whether he is cleaning or snatching the weight. A point to remember is that the

more you jump back the less height you will have in the pull for you dissipate the pulling or height force

by giving in to the jumping back or horizontal force.

There are two key positions in achieving maximum pull (in the next installment the other position will be

discussed). When the bar is at the knees the shoulders should be well forward of the bar, so much so,

that the balance of the body is on the balls of the feet. An inch or so above this bar-at-knees position

brings your body into the best body position possible to get the combined maximum explosive force of

your back, trapezius, legs and calves. This shoulders-well-beyond-the-bar position prevents you from

pulling the bar backwards. On the contrary, instead of the shoulders pivoting backwards around the

hips, the hips will now swing forward and upward when you attempt to extend the body and, at the

same time, the shoulders will travel up instead of toward the rear.

Analysis : Initial Pull

Faults:

Back is bowed.

Arms are slightly flexed.

Trapezius muscles are contracted.

Corrections:

Back is flat or even arched in (chest held high).

Arms are straight and taut.

Trapezius muscles are taut.

Analysis : Second Pull

Faults:

Shoulders are directly above the bar.

Hips are too far back.

Body balance centered over the feet or towards the heels.

Corrections:

Shoulders well ahead of the bar.

Hips ready to drive forward and up.

Body balance on the balls of the feet.

Next – continuing with the pull.

The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Three - Tommy Kono

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The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Three

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This month we cover the third and most devastating error committed by a majority of good lifters

in pulling for the Snatch and Cleans; a common habit that beginners fall into when they attempt

heavy weights too soon.

In an interview with the Soviet Union’s chief coach Dr. Arcady Vorobiev, he mentioned that the

biggest fault made in the Snatch lift by international calibre lifters was that, “They try to go

under the weight too quickly.” In other words he meant that these champions do not fully exploit

the strength they have in pulling the weight up because they fail to get maximum height in their

pull. They tend to cut their pull short and try to go under the weight quickly instead.

Study figure A and note all the faults listed in the Analysis Box. In figure A the lifter is

attempting to bring his shoulders down to meet the bar rather than bringing the bar up to meet the

shoulders. This is akin to the previous article on the initial pull where the lifter started with bent

arms to bring his shoulders closer to the bar. A lifter who is in this position will not have a strong

finish pull but, instead, will have a strong “first” pull because he has dissipated his pull and now

must rely on speed of movement to get under the bar to catch it overhead (for the Snatch) or on

the chest (for the Clean).

A lifter who uses his arms too quickly on the first pull has fairly well developed biceps;

especially is it pronounced where the biceps join the forearm. An “arm puller” also has less

trapezius development because the biceps are called into action much more than the trapezius.

In figure A the upper body is still inclined forward a bit which means that the bar will be away

from the body, giving you an additional disadvantage on leverage for the pull.

Now, study figure B and note the corrections listed in the Analysis Box.

In figure B the lifter has stretched his body as much as he can. The bar is traveling upwards too

for the lifter is making every effort to lift his elbows directly up. This comes about because of the

lifter’s effort to get a maximum UPWARD contraction of the trapezius muscles. The lifter even

has his head tilted upwards as well as his line of sight. THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE PULL

IS TO STRETCH OR LENGTHEN THE BODY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BY EVEN

TRYING TO CRANE THE NECK AND LIFTING THE CHEST UPWARDS.

Assuming that you have extended your body as much as possible to give you maximum height

and then you contract your trapezius to the “craned neck” position, and at the same time driving

down hard on the platform with your toes, you will have achieved as much height as possible on

the pull with the least use of the arms. THE LESS ARM POWER YOU USE TO PULL THE

WEIGHT UP THE MORE BODY POWER AND BODY LEVERAGE YOU MUST EMPLOY

TO GET THE PULL, the correct way to achieve maximum pulling power for the Olympic quick

lifts.

Maximum Extension in the Second Pull

In the article previous to this in the ABC series, I mentioned the importance of having your

shoulders well over the bar when it reaches knee height (beginning of the second pull) position.

This was to get you into the most powerful position for the second and more important pull.

Note the shaded drawings. In figure A only the shaded head is beyond the position of the bar

while in drawing B approximately half of the shaded body is beyond the bar. In figure A because

the major portion of the shaded area is BEHIND the bar, the lifter has his body weight resting

toward the rear of his feet. When the body is extended in the second pull the lifter pulls the bar

towards himself and backward because the body is EXTENDING TO THE REAR. Note how the

bar, in figure A, has traveled backwards from the knee height position to the extended body

position. This causes the lifter to jump back to catch the weight. The bar has also separated from

the body in the unshaded portion of figure A which means you are losing some of the leverage

for pulling.

In figure B the lifter has not only brought his shoulders backward but because of his correct

shoulders-over-the-bar position at knee height the hips have driven forward and up. The

shoulders moving backwards is counteracted by the hips moving forward. The end result is the

bar traveling in an upright path instead of backwards as in figure A. If anything, the bar actually

travels a little forward since the balance is brought more forcefully over the balls of the feet.

Extending the body to get the maximum height is most important but the extension must be

UPWARDS and not backwards as in figure A.

The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Four - Tommy Kono

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In this installment of the ABC series the information presented is directed more toward the

benefit of the squat style lifters; however, the material in this article can be useful for both

bodybuilders and power lifters.

Generally speaking, a majority of the squat technicians in the Olympic lifts can pull into the

shoulders more weight than they can rise with. Or, should they have the ability to stand up from

the squat clean they lack the extra power in their legs to jerk the weight overhead. This is often

the case despite the fact that the lifter had performed many sets of heavy squats in training.

Improper squatting technique not only wastes the lifter’s time but also gives him a false sense of

power in the legs which do not really serve him well for the squat style clean & jerk. What then,

constitutes good technique in the squat exercise which will aid in the Olympic lifts?

The drawings accompanying this article show three of the variations used by the lifters of which

one is the better style. Note the differences in the three techniques and figure why one is better

than the other two. Compare the following explanation with your own.

Detailed Explanation of the Correct and Incorrect Methods

Figure “A” shows the body in an upright position which places all the stress on the thighs in

coming out of the deep squat. Figure “B” illustrates a squat with the back inclined forward which

takes most of the stress off the thighs and places it on the back. “B” technique employs a larger

number of muscle groups so a greater load can be handled in the squat BUT it does not improve

the cleaning ability. This is the style usually employed by the power lifers to get record

poundage. A renowned superheavyweight not only employs this technique but also rides the bar

NOT ON HIS SHOULDERS but almost on his mid-back; that is, below the rear deltoids. He also

uses an extremely wide stance which brings into play muscle groups of the inner thighs. the

MORE MUSCLE GROUPS EMPLOYED AT ONE TIME THE GREATER THE WEIGHT

THAT CAN BE HANDLED. But, it doesn’t mean that the cleaning ability will improve.

Why is the inclined style an inferior technique to use for the squat clean? In figures “A” and “B”

imagine the bar resting on the chest instead of on the shoulders as in the squat clean and it will

become more obvious. In the upright squat position it makes very little difference but in the

incline technique the body is forced to become more upright to rest the bar on the chest. This

means that the advantage of using the back muscles becomes less; consequently, more stress is

thrown on the legs, a muscle group unaccustomed to the load since it had shared the load with

the muscles of the back.

Quite some time ago two middleweights who at one time or another held the world record in the

Clean & Jerk trained together. The first middleweight used to squat with 400 pounds for 5 reps in

almost every workout without much difficulty while the second middleweight in his best shape

had a hard time performing 3 reps with the weight once a week. Yet, when the squat exercise

was performed with the BAR RESTING ON THE CHEST, the first middleweight had a rough

time completing one repetition with 375 pounds while the second middleweight who had a rough

time with 400 pounds in back was able to successfully make 3 reps with 375 in front. The first

middleweight had kept his back flat but used to incline his body forward as he went into the

squat while the second middleweight always used to perform the squat exercise almost bolt

upright. Incidentally, the 2nd middleweight also had a heavier development of the muscle right

above the knees (Vastus Internus) than the first middleweight because of the correct squatting

position adopted.

Squatting correctly for lifting requires a certain amount of flexibility in the ankles, knees and

hips. This is achieved by stretching the calf muscles and the frontal thigh muscles and an ability

to flex the lumbar muscles to tilt the pelvic girdle back.

The key points to remember in performing the squats for lifting are:

(1) Try to maintain a flat back with your chest held high (lungs filled with air),

(2) Keep the upper body as upright as possible as you descend into the squat, and

(3) Attempt to bring the hip joint as close as possible to the ankle joint when you reach the

bottom of the squat. This means that the knees (viewing from the sides) will have to point

forward and not upward.

Some lifters go into the full squat in the correct manner but instead of rising correctly they either

fall into the lean forward technique or lose their flat back and collapse into a “bow” as in figure

“C” to relieve the legs of the load and throw it on the back muscles. They can do this in the

regular squat but the moment the bar is shifted from behind the neck to in front of the neck as in

the squat clean then the effectiveness of the squat exercise is lost. Use the lean forward or

“bowed” position and eventually you develop a thick set of spinal erector muscles; especially

where the bow is the greatest. Use the bow technique and you also find yourself developing a

thicker waist because of the pressure created in the abdominal region and from the thickening of

the lower back muscles.

When you fall into the bowed squat position your balance shifts toward the heel which in turn

automatically forces the back muscles to take the bulk of the load.

In all of your squatting movements in training whether the bar is resting on your shoulders or in

front of your chest, always try to squat with your upper body as upright as possible. Incline or

bow your back if you have to with the extremely heavy ones but try to execute the squat exercise

correctly for the greatest benefit for your clean & jerks.

The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Five - Tommy Kono

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The Area of Balance

The subject covered in this article may seem so basic it doesn’t require any explanation yet many

times the most fundamental things are overlooked or forgotten while a more complicated manner

is stressed. For this reason I am calling your attention to a basic law of lifting in the following

paragraphs.

In lifting, the Area of Balance is created by the base of your feet. Any time the bar travels

beyond this base, whether it is behind or in front, you have lost control of the barbell. When this

happens THE BARBELL WILL CONTROL YOUR MOVEMENT if you want to save the lift.

The Area of Balance is between the middle of the heel bone and between the ball of the foot and

the first joint of the big toe. The Area of Balance is the shaded portion in the accompanying

drawings. With the feet pointed straight ahead and parallel to each other, you have a greater fore

and aft area (figure A) as compared to the feet angled outwards (figure B). This is one of the

reasons why lifters who use the lay-back technique of pressing keep their feet parallel to each

other – for a greater fore and aft movement of the hips in pressing and for maintaining good

balance while the weight travels outward.

The barbell is not like a Yo-Yo where you can throw it away from you and pull it back with a

snap of the wrist. If you weigh 150 pounds and you swing a 300 pound barbell (or for that matter

a 200 pound one) away from you, you will end up traveling forward with the barbell if you want

to regain control of it.

In all your lifting, whether it be pressing, cleaning, snatching or dead lifting (study figures 1, 2,

3, and 4 respectively), keep the bar traveling within the Area of Balance for maximum

efficiency. Think that the bar must travel within the column of air space created directly above

the area your feet cover.

In pulling, keep in mind that for every forward or backward movement of he barbell out of the

Area of Balance it means you are LOSING the height of the pull in direct proportion to the

distance the bar travels out of the Area of Balance. Naturally, in the press, if the bar travels out of

the Area of Balance in competition, you’ve lost the lift since you will have to take a step to

regain your balance under the weight.

Figures C and D illustrate the correct and incorrect way in maintaining your balance over the

Area of Balance. In figure “C” the actual balance is placed on the ball of the feet which is the

correct technique. With this technique you have better control of your body movement. In

handbalancing it is termed the “over-balance” technique. By having your balance on the balls of

the feet you are able to “grip” the floor with your feet. In figure “D” you see the balance centered

approximately in the middle of the Area of Balance and this leaves you very little control. This

type of balance is akin to a boxer being caught flat-footed.

The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Six - Tommy Kono

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The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Six

by Tommy Kono (1970)

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A Theory of Acceleration as Applied in the Pull

In this installment I hope to convey to you literally and graphically the idea behind the pull

employed in Snatching and Cleaning. Applying this “pull theory” I wish to develop the idea a

step further to illustrate that “banging” the thighs with the bar does not add impetus or

acceleration to the bar in the quick lifts.

Figure “A” shows a barbell resting on the floor. The heavy black arrow pointing down from the

bar to the floor indicates the amount of weight resting on the floor. The heavy black arrow

pointing up from the floor meeting the first arrow helps illustrate the equal force being exerted

by the floor; a law of physics.

Let us now study figures “B” and “C”. The trapezoid represents a certain weight. The thick

arrow, the amount of force which is slightly greater than the weight of the trapezoid. The thinner

arrows indicate additional forces.

Figure “B” shows maximum force being applied on the block of weight. Since we can apply a

burst of full force only for a short period we have used it up at the beginning of the pull which

means the finish becomes weak. This might be similar to a bullet leaving the muzzle of a gun

pointing straight up into the sky. The bullet leaves its source of power at a tremendous velocity

but as it begins to gain altitude it loses its speed and eventually it would have spent its

momentum (from friction of the air and the constant pull of gravity) and halted its ascent. Then,

it does an “about face” and starts descending, picking up speed as it comes plunging down to

earth.

Many good weightlifters pull in this fashion. They believe that a tremendous yank can get the bar

traveling and then they rely on the momentum to get the bar up to the proper height. While the

bar is traveling up the same lifter feels he can now concentrate on going down under the bar.

This is one of the reasons why the “yankers” catch even the light weights with a terrific impact

on the chest. I have seen more than one national champion injure his knee cleaning a weight in

this manner with his record attempt.

In figure “C” the same amount of arrows (indicating force) are shown as in figure “B” but in the

reverse arrangement. Here the idea has been to apply more force as the weight gains height so at

the peak of the pull the greatest amount of force is applied. The idea is similar to that of building

up the speed of an auto from a dead stop; acceleration. In this method of pulling even after the

pull force has ceased the momentum developed by the acceleration will carry the weight

(barbell) a little higher before coming to a halt and starting its descent.

The acceleration of pulling is important for two basic reasons: (1) The bar continues to travel

upwards even after the (accelerated) force has been cut off as in the case when the lifter loses

contact with the platform with his feet in going into a squat or split, and (2) The reaction of

pulling the hardest at the end of the pull means PULLING THE BODY DOWNWARD

EQUALLY HARD WHEN THE FEET LEAVE THE PLATFORM in squatting or splitting.

The acceleration method of pulling makes the lifter extremely dynamic and fluid in action when

the maximum pull and descending transfer of force is made. This method of pulling also insures

a “softer” catch when the bar is received on the chest or overhead as the case may be for cleaning

and snatching, unlike the hammering effect of the “yankers”.

Figure “D” is drawn to show how a light weight is handled using the principle of acceleration.

Not all of your maximum explosive force is applied at the finish of your lift. The beginning pull

is prolonged before the “gear shifting” takes place. The lighter the weight the more prolonged is

the power of the initial force applied before fuller force is called into play.

If you have been “yanking” the bar off the floor try employing the acceleration method of pull

and see how much higher you can pull the weight in performing your High Pull exercise. Wear a

pair of wrist straps and wrap them around the bar and use the above method of pulling. Have

someone check the height of your pull. Can you match the height with the same weight using the

“yanking” style?

Now, let us proceed to part two of this installment which is in regard to “banging” or striking the

thighs with the bar in pulling. Since the rule was passed by the FIHC (now called FHI) several

years ago, which allows a lifter to “graze” the thighs above the knees in the act of pulling, many

lifters have deliberately cultivated a technique which “bangs” the thighs, believing that this

action will assist them in lifting a heavier weight. I know of one very good lifter who strikes the

bar on his lower abdomen and wears a foam rubber pad at this particular area in his trunks for

this purpose.

Study the accompanying drawings of the cars. Drawing “A” shows a car striking the guard rail

and continuing to drive. At point one (1) before the car struck the railing it is traveling at 70

miles per hour. Would the car have a faster speed at point two (2)? Same speed? Or slower

speed?

Now, study drawing “B”. In “B” the car comes close to striking the guard rail but at no time

comes in contact with the railing. If the car speed is 70 miles per hour at point three (3) what will

be the speed at point four (4)? Faster, slower or the same?

Any striking or sharp turns by a car will slow the car down rather than help to accelerate it. So it

is with the movement of the barbell. Hitting any part of the body with the bar while pulling not

only slows the bar down but can throw the bar out of the correct path and make you lose the

necessary leverage to make the lift. Striking the bar with the body usually causes the bar to go

into a swing rather than to stay in a pull. Usually the hitting of the thighs is more deliberate in the

Snatch lift than in the Clean (I am not referring to Power Cleans here).

When the “grazing the thigh” rule was first introduced the Soviets did so because they had

learned from their various studies that the bar MUST be pulled close to the body in order to

achieve the greatest pulling efficiency. They discovered too that in pulling the bar close to the

body the thighs often “brush” against the moving bar. “Brushing” or pulling close to the thighs

means added leverage to your pulling power but to strike the bar on your thighs is a definite

detriment in your quest for an accelerated pull.

If you find “bouncing” the bar off your thighs assists you in developing a stronger pull then

YOU HAVE NOT ACQUIRED THE RIGHT PULLING POSITION FOR THE FINISH OR

SECOND PART OF YOUR PULL! More than likely you have positioned your body wrong after

the initial pull, a point already discussed in Part Two of this series.

The ABC’s of Weightlifting, Part Seven - Tommy Kono

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The “S” Pull

Before going into the details of the “S pull it is recommended that you review parts II, III, V and

VI of this ABC series since understanding the principles covered in these four prior articles have

an important part in explaining the “S” pull principle.

Various studies have shown conclusively that a straight, upward pull is not conducive to record

breaking performances in the Snatch or Clean. Movie films taken from the side angle of world

record lifts show that a maximum height in the pull is achieved only when the bar follows a

certain “S” pattern.

Description of the “S” Pull for the Squat Snatch

Most lifters position the bar directly above the instep of their feet prior to the beginning of their

pull. As the pull commences the bar swings in toward the middle line of the body, reaching the

maximum inward curve at the knees. (Follow explanation of the path of the bar on drawing A.)

From here the bar begins to move away from the body and cross directly above the starting point

approximately where the thighs join the hips. The bar continues to travel in the same path but

begins to straighten out at waist level and then curves back to the body at chest height to make

the second curve of the “S”.

Explanation of the “S” Pull for the Squat Snatch

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line and this holds true even in

weightlifting; however, the barbell is not propelled by itself. The human body has many muscles

and joints involved in lifting a weight from the floor to overhead and the leverage of the muscles

and joints is constantly changing as the bar travels up. In essence, we are lifting the bar through a

SERIES OF STRAIGHT LINES (a curve is nothing more than a series of short, straight lines),

utilizing the right leverage for the different muscle groups s the lift progresses.

(1) The Initial Curve

If you have ever performed repetitions dead lifts, whether with a flat back as in the initial pull for

the quick lifts or the conventional rounded-back deadlift, you’d note that each time you pick the

weight off the floor the weight (bar) has a tendency to swing in toward the middle-line of the

body and eventually end up resting against the front of your thighs. The more rapidly you

perform this exercise for repetitions, the more obvious this swinging movement becomes. It is a

natural movement since the combined weight of the barbell and the body must shift from the

instep to the middle of the feet (middle-line of the body) for good leverage.

(2) The Middle Section

When the bar reaches the knee height in pulling (not dead lift) your shoulders should be well

beyond the bar (Part II of the ABC series) so you have positioned yourself for the best leverage

for the finish of the pull. Since the bar cannot make an abrupt change of direction without losing

acceleration (Part VI, ABC series) and must also travel in the Area of Balance (Part V, ABC

series), the path of the bar must be a smooth curve leading away from the center-line of the body.

This, again, is a natural movement since the combined weight of the barbell and body must now

shift toward the ball of the feet to utilize the best leverage of the legs (thighs and calves) and hip

action (Part III, ABC series) to extend the body to achieve the greatest height for the bar.

(3) The Second Curve

Should the bar continue to journey away from the body the bar would travel out of the Area of

Balance forcing you to lose control of the weight; so, to prevent this from happening it would be

a natural movement to KEEP THE BAR AS CLOSE TO THE BODY AS POSSIBLE and USE

THE WEIGHT OF THE BARBELL AS LEVERAGE TO PULL YOUR BODY UNDER THE

WEIGHT. The reaction of this movement would be that of pulling the barbell back toward the

initial starting line (over the instep); hence, the second curve section of the “S”.

The action of the wrist flipping over and the descending of the bar causes the loop at the finish of

the pull.

Figures C and D show the general pattern of the path of the bar which has struck the thighs and

bounced away. Figure C is that of the mid-thigh striking the bar. Figure D illustrates the pattern

of lifters who feel they must pass the bar over the knees and striking the bar with the lower part

of the thighs.

Drawing E helps illustrate that even a proper beginning is no assurance the finish of the lift will

be good. The dash lines indicate the wrong finish. The curve of E-1 shows the proper height

necessary for a successful catch in the squat snatch. Numbers E-2 and E-3 show the loss of

height in the pull because of the bar traveling out of the Area of Balance. The height of the pull

was lost in proportion to the distance traveled horizontally out of the Area of Balance.

Using the proper “S” pull with a heavy weight, a lifter can make a successful Snatch by getting

the proper height as shown in Figures A, B, and E-1. Should the same lifter using the same

weight pull in a faulty pattern, the bar would achieve only height shown in drawings C, D, and

E-2&3; a height that is insufficient for a successful lift. Many times the lifter will make the

proper adjustment by jumping backward or forward because of the faulty pull to create a new

Area of Balance but with a personal record or near record weight the bar ends at arms’ length but

with the wrist not flipped over for the proper catch.

The pattern of the curve for all lifters, in general, is alike. The deviation of the curve from the

center line (not the middle-line of the body) varies according to the height of the lifter and other

factors such as the length of the feet, the placement angle of the feet for the initial pull, the width

of the grip on the bar, the length of the arms, etc., etc. But, the general pattern has produced the

measurements shown in Figure B. Figure A shows the general height and pattern that is ideal for

a lifter approximately 5 ft. 6 in. in height. Zhabotinsky’s pull height has been measured at 59¾

inches with a drop of the bar only 5 inches before he caught the weight for the Snatch with 352

lbs. Former world record holder in the Clean & Jerk in the lightweight class, Schgun of Russia,

snatched with a pull of 49¼ inches before catching the weight in an enormously low squat.

Schgun measured 5 ft. 3 in. in height.