The road to becoming a successful Olympic weightlifter is a long and bumpy one and there are a few routes to choose from. An experienced lifting coach can help you set goals and map out your journey. Here are seven tips to help you in your Olympic weightlifting journey.
More hips
This is usually the first piece of advice any weightlifting coach will give you. It is the most fundamental part of being an Olympic lifter. You need full extension of the hips and the rest will follow.
Delay the pull
You will need watch a slow-mo video of a successful weightlifter. Notice how high the bar is before they start the second pull? Compare this video to one of yourself and try and match their technique. This will help you achieve maximum power.
Squat more
You need to do more front squats and also lift heavier weights, more often per week. Squatting can help improve leg strength greatly, increase your confidence when getting under the bar, allow you to adopt a better body position under the bar and let you be able to get up from the lifts that pin you to the floor.
Finish your pull
There’s nothing wrong with being in a hurry to get under the bar but you have to get up to get down. The bar needs enough upward momentum so that you have maximum time to get under it.
Keep it close
The bar needs to be kept as close as possible to your body throughout the lift. It should brush up against your thighs as well your upper body. If this feels strange to you then you have had the bar too far from you during the movement.
Keep control of the bar
For many weightlifters who are still getting into the swing of things, they think it’s ‘magic’ that they are able to get under the bar when at full extension. The reality of the matter is that you have to have full control over the bar or there is no real point in the lift.
Consistency of technique
Once you have the above points under you belt, practise these and become consistent, i.e., you need to hit the right marks at the right time regularly. Once you have mastered the technique you can focus on intensity.
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