Deadlift, Squat, Hanging Power Clean

[Robert Clarke]

Originally Posted by John Pavlic

Robert:

I don't recall if you mentioned in your first post how long you have been consistently working these trying these lifts or not, but your form looks pretty good for someone just starting to work on the deadlift and squat to get to better form.

I would agree with past comments about working to go just below parallel on the squats and trying to get a less rounded back at the start of the deadlift. If you concentrate on hitting a below parallel squat on the free/body weight squat in some the WOD (where your pumping out much higher reps) it will probably cross over to the back/weighted squat through the extra reps of practice. The high rep free squats will also help with flexibility in your hamstrings and that makes it easier to below parallel too.

That said, your squat and deadlift form are better than 95% of the guys I see in my gym cheating every which way to force up too much weight and squatting not even close to the depth that you hit. So good job on the squats!

You might trying starting with your butt down a little lower on the deadlift and head up slightly above looking straight ahead. Ironically, sometimes working the squat to get below parallel will help on these because it will make it feel more natural to start lower on the deadlift too.

On the snatches and the cleans, they look pretty good for power cleans and snatches. But if you really want to get down the pulls and "catches" (where you pull your self under the weight as it is moving up) on those exercises with weight, watch all the demo vids under the heading "Olympic lifting" by Coach Burgener and after watching them try the lifts with an empty Olympic bar again or even with a broom stick or pvc pipe. His coaching in the videos helped me a lot on the snatches. I was totally muscling them up before I watched those.

I just started Crossfit in November and that included doing deadlifts/o lifts.

Over this past Christmas i stopped in to an affiliate in Ann Arbor, MI and had a couple hours of 1 on 1 training on the basic movements. When i do the free squats I use a dynamix ball for depth. Maybe I'll use that a few times to make sure I'm deep enough for the squat.

For the o lifts. I've watched all those vids several times. You can only critique yourself so much and it has been helpful getting some fresh eyes to critique it!

Thanks for the input though!

Originally Posted by Jason M Struck

i agree that most tech. is very proficient for a beginner.

DL: more thoracic extension would be ideal.
-retract shoulders
-arch low back

you're power clean suffers due to these same faults, as does the rack position of your front squat.

Basically it is coming down to my lack of thoracic flexibility. I'll double time some pt exercises to help opening up my back/shoulders.

These problems are the result of 4 years of improper training in undergrad. Gotta love working heavy chest and ignoring the opposing rhomboids/lower traps.

Thanks for the tips!

edit. I'm going to do todays wod tomorrow and I'll take a couple vids to see if I can make some corrections.